Yours Truly
by 2good2betrue
Summary: Courage is a trait which everyone desires but not everyone possesses. Ross and Rachel haven't seen each other since high school. Ross is divorcing Carol and Rachel is in a terrible marriage with Barry, when they unexpectedly meet... Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I'm back with a new story! Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed my last two! I hope you'll enjoy this one! Remember to review to tell me what you think! :)**

**Summary: This story is AU with a few elements from the show, told mostly from Rachel's view. Ross and Rachel haven't seen each other since high school. Ross is divorcing Carol and they have Ben. Rachel ended up marrying Barry but they're in a terrible marriage. The other four will be included in the story. I can't really place it on a timeline but technology like cell phones for texting and computers are going to be used. **

**This story is dedicated to nno1ann - I'll be there for you.**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

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><p><em>We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. <em>_  
><em>_The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come_

_- Joseph Campbell_

_…_

Rachel opened her eyes to the bright daylight that was streaming through the curtains of her bedroom window. She just lay there for a moment with her eyes closed, listening to the only sounds in the room: her slow breaths and her steady heartbeat. Rachel sighed irritably before rolling over to look at the clock beside her bed. It was already 10:34am.

Rachel shifted her gaze to look at the framed picture on her nightstand. It was of her and Barry on their wedding day two years ago. Rachel looked radiant in her elegant wedding gown and flowing vale. In the photo she stood beside her new husband, smiling into the camera. It was probably the last day she had felt happy in her marriage to Barry.

Being married to Barry was not what Rachel had expected. All of her friends had explained how much fun it was to never have to work a day of their lives. They had made her think that a life living off her husband's money would be incredible. She had been infatuated with the idea that she would be able to shop all day and spend time with her friends, basically do whatever she pleased.

But living with only the purpose of being a trophy wife was not fun.

In the beginning of her marriage she had enjoyed doing nothing all day. But the excitement of being carefree had worn off quickly and soon Rachel realized how miserable she was. Now her life was like an endless cycle of regrets. Each new morning never actually felt new.

The worst part was that Rachel didn't feel loved. Barry was always at work; her husband spent more time fixing people's teeth than he did with her. It was understandable that Rachel felt like her marriage was terrible, she didn't feel like she had a husband at all.

Rachel slowly sat up, letting the covers slide off of her. She turned to sit on the edge of the bed before easing herself onto the cool wood floor. Rachel walked over to a chair where her robe lay. As she continued walking into her living room she wrapped the robe around her.

The apartment was silent. It wasn't a surprise that Barry was already at work.

Rachel thought about her grand apartment. It had crown moulding, elegant wainscoting and expensive furniture. Rachel had never felt at home in this place, she felt like she was trapped in a cage, similar to how she felt being married to Barry. But this was the life she had been raised in; she had no idea how to live any different.

Rachel had learned to deal with the fact that her days would only ever revolve around the image she had to keep up. The perfect home, with the perfect marriage and the perfect life was all an act. On the outside Barry and Rachel looked like the ideal couple, but on the inside Rachel felt like she was under-appreciated.

Rachel's relationship with Barry was barely a marriage. They only talked as much as they had to; there was no love, no passion, no excitement. Barry saw her as another item in his house. He let her do whatever she wanted so she would stay with him to keep up their image.

Rachel knew she couldn't leave Barry, no matter how unhappy she was. Her parents had set her up in this lifestyle in order to keep up their own pretentious image. Rachel hated having everything decided for her, but she had spent her whole life that way.

Rachel often wondered why she didn't love living like this. She had plenty of money and no work. All of her friends loved it, her family encouraged it, why did she feel this way?

Rachel walked through the hallway into the living room. She caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror and stopped. The face that stared back at her was a shocking sight, much different from the picture on her bedside table.

Rachel had circles under her eyes, her hair stuck up in all directions, but worst of all was her expression. Her once bright eyes now had no life in them, no sparkle, only depression. Rachel couldn't stand to look at herself any longer. She walked into the living room and sat down exasperatedly on her white couch.

She soon spotted her cell phone sitting on the coffee table. When she picked it up to give her friend Mindy a call she noticed a new message. Rachel didn't recognize the sender, but decided there was no harm in reading it.

_I don't know what's going on. Carol has been spending a lot of time at the gym and she's really distant at home. I just don't understand._

Rachel hesitated for a moment and stared at the screen, her fingers hovering over the buttons. She had no idea who this person was, but she felt the need to reply. So she texted the person back.

_You sent your message to the wrong person. And if you want my advice I think this Carol isn't the one for you, if she's treating you like that. Trust me I'm in a terrible relationship I wish I had had the guts to get out of a long time ago._

Rachel didn't know why she disclosed so much information to this person, but she hit send anyways. She continued on with her regular routine and called Mindy. They planned to meet for lunch and then go shopping together, as usual.

Rachel had a bounce to her step as she walked back into her bedroom to get dressed. She had been courageous and lived on the edge, for once. She had finally done something for herself, and it felt good.

…..

The day went by quickly. Soon Rachel was home again. Suddenly another text message made her phone vibrate in her Louis Vuitton purse. She pulled it out and looked at the screen. She recognised that it was the unknown number again. This time the message read:

_I'm so sorry about the confusion and thanks for the advice. As for you, I think if you're unhappy you should end your relationship too._

Rachel smiled. She made a snap decision to reply again. She said:

_It's not that simple._

…..

Weeks went by. Rachel had been talking to this person over texts for the whole time. She felt like chatting with this person broke up the predictability of her day to day life. Every time she got a new text she felt a little more cheered up, her day was brighter.

This excitement was just what Rachel needed. She was beginning to find life less of a drag because there was a new message to look forward to every day.

Eventually her and her new-found-friend exchanged emails. It felt like having a pen pal, Rachel enjoyed emailing back and forth. They had soon become good friends, and she didn't even know the person's name, all she knew was that he was a man.

She felt like she finally had someone to share her thoughts with. Even though Rachel had plenty of friends, none were like this one. Rachel knew this person was there to listen and not judge, unlike her other friends.

Rachel discovered that this was what she needed all this time. She finally had an outlet for her problems. She was beginning to feel a little less alone.

The two of them gave each other advice; it just so happened that her new friend also needed someone to talk to. Rachel didn't know how, but, she could tell this person was kind and trustworthy. She felt comfortable talking to him about Barry.

At first Rachel considered how dangerous it was to be talking to a complete stranger, but she didn't want to stop, she couldn't stop. This person was saving her from the downward spiral her life as Barry's wife had turned into. Her conversations with this person were comforting; finally somebody cared about her.

…..

Rachel got into the elevator and rode it to the penthouse suite. It was her friend Leslie's birthday party that night.

Rachel was not looking forward to another party with her friends. For one thing she was alone again because, of course, Barry had to work. But, also, Rachel couldn't stand having to spend the night making small talk with people that were so shallow. She knew all she'd be hearing all night was gossip and meaningless stories, which she dreaded pretending to have interest in listening to.

Rachel had only stepped out of the elevator and she could already hear the music blaring from the other side of the door. She took a deep breath before she knocked. It soon opened and Leslie's husband shouted over the music for Rachel to come in.

Rachel looked around the dimly-lit room. It was packed with people drinking, dancing, laughing and talking. The apartment had giant windows that overlooked the city of New York, which was now glowing with nightlife. Rachel hugged and kissed anyone she knew as she made her way over to see Leslie.

"Rachel!" Leslie shouted, when she spotted her friend.

"Happy Birthday!" Rachel said, as she hugged Leslie. "Here's a present for you," Rachel said when they pulled out of the hug. Rachel held out a small gift bag.

"Awe, Rach. You shouldn't have!" Leslie exclaimed as she took the bag. "So where's Barry?"

"He had to work," Rachel replied.

"You know who else said their husband had to work? Jane. But I heard from Ava that he's actually cheating on her!" Leslie gossiped. Rachel pretended to care by acting shocked. "Rach, will you do a birthday toast for me when everyone's here?" Leslie asked.

"Sure," Rachel replied. Leslie soon spotted another friend and ran to go hug her.

Rachel decided she needed some air; lately parties, like this one, were beginning to feel too hot and overcrowded for her liking. She pushed through the crowd, once again, until she got to the door.

…..

A few floors below the party, Ross was leaving Carol's apartment. Ross had been married to Carol for about three years now and they had dated for four years before that. They had a son, Ben, who was now two.

Ross and Carol's marriage had just ended a few days previous.

Ross looked around the apartment he had called home for years. All of the pictures of him and Carol were gone, only the pictures of Ben remained.

Ross took one last peek into Ben's bedroom before he left. It was dark but he could still see his son sleeping in his crib. Ross walked closer to Ben and just looked at him. It was going to be very hard to not see his son every day.

"Daddy?" Ben called, sleepily. He stared up at his father with a concerned expression.

"Shhh, it's okay. Go back to sleep," Ross said softly as he rubbed Ben's shoulder soothingly. Ben laid his head back down and was back asleep shortly. Ross couldn't stand to look at Ben any longer; it hurt to know how hard this was going to be on him, even if Ben was only two.

As Ross turned the doorknob to exit the apartment he looked at his hand. His golden wedding band caught his eye. It reminded him of the discussion his now ex-wife and him had had a little while ago.

_-Flashback-_

_Ross had finally had it with Carol's withdrawn behavior. He decided he needed to confront her. Ross walked into the living room, where she was sitting on the couch, and stood in front of her. Ross' presence caused Carol to look up at him._

"_Carol, can we talk?" Ross began, nervously._

"_Sure," Carol replied, putting down the book she was reading._

"_Um, okay, so lately I've been feeling like you're acting really distant and strange around me. I-I guess it seems like you have no time for me anymore. You're always at the gym or doing other things. And when we are together we have nothing to talk about," Ross explained quickly. He paused as he sat beside her on the couch. "I've recently been told that if you're treating me like this and I'm not happy I should get out of this relationship before it's too late."_

"_Ross the whole reason I've been so distant is because… I'm-I'm a lesbian," Carol said carefully. Ross was speechless. He sat there staring straight ahead, frozen in shock. Ross took a deep breath as he absorbed this information. All this time and he didn't know. The room began to spin, Ross felt dizzy._

_Ross tried not to look at her. He cleared his throat before he continued, this time in a softer tone._

"_So, you-you're a lesbian?" Ross asked. "Is this why you've been spending so much time away from me?"_

"_Yeah, Ross actually I met someone," Carol said slowly._

"_You did?" Ross asked. He felt like he was going to be sick._

"_It's Susan," Carol replied, bracing herself for his reaction. Ross remembered hearing Carol talk about her friend Susan a lot, now it all made sense. _

"_If we're both unhappy in this marriage I-I think we should get a divorce. I mean it's our only option…" Ross explained as tears came to his eyes. He looked at the floor._

"_Ross I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner-" Carol began, but she was interrupted by Ross._

"_Carol, I'm just- I just have to go," Ross stammered, he felt hurt and angry. He quickly got up and walked out of their apartment with his head hung low in grief._

Ross was glad he got out of the relationship when he did, he had just been so miserable. But, he also felt sad it had ended. All those years he had loved and cared for Carol were for nothing.

Ross just felt so stupid. Why didn't he know he married a lesbian? Was he actually so awful to be married to that he had actually pushed Carol over the edge?

For the longest time he had felt like he and Carol were growing apart, he just didn't want to admit it. Then he had reached out and talked to his best friends, Chandler, Joey and Phoebe and his sister Monica. They gave him advice but nothing seemed to help.

Luckily, Ross happened to accidentally find a new friend to talk to about it; otherwise he wouldn't know what to do. That friend was the one that gave him the advice to get out of the marriage while he could.

Ross had meant to text Chandler one day but he unintentionally sent the message to the wrong person. They had only ever talked over text messages and email, but he was glad to have someone other than his friends and sister to talk to.

Ross felt like he could trust this person. They were both going through bad marriages and they were both there for each other, to give advice and receive advice. She was in a loveless marriage as well, but was too afraid to get out of it.

Before Ross walked out of Carol's apartment he took off his wedding band and placed it on a table.

Ross didn't know what to do as he left, he felt so alone.

Ross walked over to press the down button for the elevator. He waited a few moments before the elevator doors opened with a ding.

Ross stepped into the elevator and noticed a young woman standing against the back wall. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was, with her straight dark blonde hair and blue eyes. She looked like she was dressed up for a special occasion.

Rachel looked up as a man entered the doors of the elevator. His demeanor seemed to give off a troubled vibe. He had dark brown hair which was messily styled with gel and he was wearing everyday clothes.

Ross pressed the button for the ground floor. Then he turned and leaned against the wall, a few feet away from her. He observed her again. In that instant she just happened to steal a look at him. They locked gazes for a moment and Ross noticed her eyes held a shockingly sad expression. It made him sad to look at her.

Rachel couldn't help but stare at the man. His soft brown eyes focused on hers and she felt like she couldn't look away.

There was an energy that passed between them. Rachel felt drawn to this man. Ross felt like he knew her from somewhere, he had definitely seen those eyes before.

Suddenly the elevator came to a jolting stop. They both grabbed the horizontal bars, on the elevator walls, to gain their balance. They looked at each other once more, shock and fright was now clearly in their body language. The lights flickered and they immediately knew something was wrong. The doors did not open.

They were trapped in the elevator.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thank you everyone for your kind reviews.**

**Please enjoy. :)**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

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><p>Ross and Rachel stood in place for a moment, frozen with fear. Ross walked the few steps across the elevator to press the button to open the doors. Nothing happened. He then pressed the button for another floor but the elevator did not move.<p>

Ross held the button for the elevator's emergency phone. Again nothing happened. Ross took his finger off the button and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He let out an agitated sigh.

Rachel was still frozen in place, just watching the man try and help their situation. Her breathing sped up and her heart began to pound faster in her chest. They definitely weren't getting out anytime soon.

Ross turned around to face Rachel. She stood against the back wall of the elevator with her arms wrapped around herself. She looked utterly terrified as she now stared at the floor. Rachel eventually met his gaze.

"What do we do?" Ross asked, his voice filled with fear. Rachel looked into his eyes, he looked panicked. They both were scared.

"I think I have my cell phone," Rachel said, almost inaudibly. Ross watched her with fear still written across his face. Rachel went digging through her purse. Her hand felt what she was looking for. She pulled the phone out and opened it. The screen read: No service.

"Crap!" Rachel cursed. She began to hold the phone up, trying to find a signal. "I don't have any service in this stupid elevator. Do you have a phone?"

Ross began patting his pockets, but he soon realized he hadn't grabbed his phone when he left his apartment that morning.

"I must have left it at home," Ross said, mentally kicking himself. "Maybe we should yell for help. Someone in the building might hear us."

Rachel nodded as she put her phone back in her purse. She put her bag on the floor and then they both walked over to the metal doors of the elevator. They shouted as loud as they could and banged on the sliding doors with their fists, hoping someone would hear them.

After quite a while Rachel gave up. She couldn't yell anymore and her arms were tired, her knuckles were throbbing. She just leaned against the door and let out an exhausted sigh. Ross continued to bang on the door but his pace was much slower.

Rachel eventually stepped away from the door and turned away from the man. She couldn't stop thinking about the fact that she had a birthday toast to make in a few minutes, at a party that she didn't want to come to in the first place. Now she was trapped.

Ross got tired too. He closed his eyes in defeat leaning his head on the door trying to listen for signs of anyone coming to their rescue. After hearing nothing he turned away from the door as well. He looked at Rachel, who had his back to him. He looked beyond her and noticed her reflection in the mirrored wall. He saw that there were tears falling down her face.

"Don't be scared. I'm sure we'll get out soon," Ross said, softly. Rachel wiped a tear from her eye and then turned around to face Ross.

"I have to make a toast at a party in a couple of minutes, I-I…" Rachel whispered, before her voice was too full of tears to continue.

"I'm sure they'll understand," Ross said kindly. Rachel started to smile a little. This man was so sweet, trying to calm her down. She couldn't look away from his eyes, again. He made her feel calm.

Rachel eventually backed up against the elevator wall again. She then slid her back down the wall to sit on the tiled elevator floor. Ross remained standing, he paced as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

After what felt like hours, the elevator still wasn't fixed. Ross got tired of standing so he joined Rachel on the floor. They sat against the back wall of the elevator, Ross with his legs out in front of him and Rachel with her arms wrapped around her bent knees. She rested her chin on her folded legs.

Ross took a deep breath to calm his nerves. Before speaking he cleared his throat.

"We haven't properly introduced ourselves. I'm Ross Geller," Ross said as he held a hand out for her to shake. Rachel smiled at him then she let go of her knees with one hand. She reached across the space between them, taking his hand in hers and shaking it.

"I'm Rachel Farber," Rachel said. Then she let go of his hand. Ross looked at the ground. An awkward silence filled the elevator.

Rachel focused on the wall opposite her as she thought to herself for a moment. This man's name sounded so familiar to her. She wracked her brain trying to remember where she had heard his name before. Then it hit her.

"You didn't by any chance grow up in Long Island did you?" Rachel asked. Ross turned his head to face her again.

"Uh, yeah, I did," Ross replied with a confused expression.

"Your name just sounds so familiar to me. Where did you go to school on Long Island?" Rachel asked.

"Lincoln High School," Ross answered. Rachel's eyes widened as she finally realized where she knew him. She went to school with him and his sister, Monica. That's why she remembered his name.

"I went there too!" Rachel exclaimed. "You have a sister, right?"

"Yeah," Ross answered. When he remembered who she was his heart skipped a beat. She was Rachel, Monica's best friend. How could he forget the cheerleader who had never noticed him? She was the popular girl with a heart big enough to be friends with Monica.

She was the girl he had had a crush on since the ninth grade, the girl he almost took to prom when her boyfriend didn't show up, the only girl he dreamed of being with up until he met Carol.

If anything she'd only gotten more beautiful.

"I can't believe this," Ross explained, excitedly. "You were friends with my sister, Monica. Now, like ten years later, here you are: stuck in an elevator with your high school friend's geeky older brother."

"It's such a small world," Rachel said with a smile. She wanted to say more but she didn't know where to begin. She was lost for words.

The reunion was cut short when the elevator lights began to flicker once more. Ross and Rachel looked up at the ceiling their hearts pounding again.

Suddenly the whole car trembled and dropped by a foot or two. Ross and Rachel had no time to react or even process what was happening in the time it took the emergency brakes to work. They brought the elevator to a stop within milliseconds of dropping.

The elevator car shook with the force of the jolt, causing one of the giant mirrors on the wall to shake free. Ross acted quickly and reached over to grab Rachel. He quickly pulled her towards himself, out of the path of the falling glass. The mirror shattered on the floor sending shards flying.

Ross and Rachel were both breathing heavily as they took in what had just happened. They both didn't move a muscle as they tried to make sense of what had happened in the past few seconds.

After the shock of what had just transpired began to wear off, Rachel looked at where she had just been sitting moments ago. If Ross hadn't pulled her out of the way the mirror would have fallen on her.

"A-are you okay?" Ross whispered, his voice shaking. Then his question was answered when he looked down at Rachel's legs. Three pieces of the mirror had cut her calf and there was blood running down her calf.

Rachel was snapped out of her daze by his voice near her ear. She realized she was in some pain. She followed Ross' gaze and looked at her leg.

"I'm okay, it could have been a lot worse," Rachel answered, referring to where she had been sitting mere minutes ago.

"We need something to stop the bleeding," Ross said. Rachel pulled herself off of him to sit next to him. Ross was able to move to look at her leg. He carefully stood up and crouched by her feet. He then took off his sweatshirt. "This will have to do," Ross said.

Ross looked at the wounds to make sure they had no glass in them before carefully wrapping his sweatshirt around her calf. Luckily, they didn't look too deep. Rachel winced a little but couldn't help slightly smiling at the way he gently took care of her.

"There," Ross said. Then he looked at Rachel's face, "We need to get you out of here, you need a doctor."

Ross stood up again. He decided to try the button for the phone again, but again there was no answer. He then pressed the button to try and get the door to open. To both Ross and Rachel's surprize and relief the door opened about a foot.

The elevator car was stuck between two floors. The floor of one of the buildings many levels was a few feet up.

"Hello? Is anyone there? We're trapped in the elevator and we can't get out!" Ross yelled out of the opening between the doors, panicked.

"Yes. We're right here. How many are in there?" A man's voice called back.

"It's only me and one other. Listen, the elevator car dropped and a mirror fell and cut her leg. She needs medical attention," Ross explained.

"An ambulance is on its way," The man answered. "I can help you two but the opening is too narrow to fit through. If you can try and push the doors open from the inside I'll try from the outside," The man said.

"I can do that," Ross answered. He then placed his hands in the opening to push on the doors. The man also placed his hands between the doors.

"1, 2, 3," The man, counted. Ross pushed with all of his strength and the doors began to slide open a few more feet. Both the man and Ross stopped for a moment to catch their breath. "Can you climb out now?" The man asked breathlessly.

"I think so," Ross replied, panting. "I'm going to help Rachel out first. When I lift her up, help her out of the elevator. But be careful, her left calf is hurt," Ross explained.

"Okay, whenever you're ready," The man responded. Ross turned back to face Rachel.

"I'm going to help you out. Can you stand?" Ross asked.

"Yeah, help me up," Rachel responded. She was so pleased that Ross was being so caring and heroic. She felt safe with him. Ross bent down and grabbed both her hands pulling her onto her feet. As soon as she was upright he wrapped an arm around her waist. He helped her stand with most of her weight on her one good leg.

"Okay, I'm going to lift you up and that man will pull you up," Ross explained. Rachel nodded. Ross then wrapped one of her arms around the back of his neck and crouched a little bit. Rachel used his bent leg like a step and stood on his thigh. When she was standing Ross gripped her waist from behind and helped her balance so she could grab the floor above them.

The man helped them by grabbing Rachel's arms so she could climb out of the elevator. When she was safely out, Ross pulled himself up out the opening. The man helped Ross climb out as well.

Ross stood up and dusted himself off. He then shook the man's hand while saying thank you. Ross walked over to stand beside Rachel. He put one of Rachel's arms over his shoulders and supported her around the waist, helping her keep weight off her injured leg. A maintenance worker came to join them.

"Are you folks alright? The power went out and stopped all signals to the elevators," The worker explained.

"We yelled for help. Why couldn't you hear us?" Ross asked with irritation.

"We were rushing around trying to get the power on, must not have been paying attention," The worker explained.

"You didn't think people could be in the elevator?" Ross argued, his temper rising.

"Ross it's okay," Rachel whispered, putting a hand on his chest to calm him down.

"Listen, I'm fine, but Rachel's hurt," Ross said gesturing to Rachel, who still had the sweatshirt wrapped around her leg.

"The paramedics will be here any minute," The worker explained.

…..

After being brought down the stairs to the lobby, Rachel received a few steri-strips and bandages from the paramedics to cover her cuts. Her wounds were not serious enough to have to go to the hospital or get stitches, so Rachel gave Barry a call to pick her up.

"Hello?" Came Barry's voice in Rachel's ear.

"Barry, I need you to come pick me up from Leslie's. I got stuck in the elevator and I got cut by a falling mirror. Please just come and get me," Rachel pleaded. Rachel heard Barry impatiently sigh from the other side of the phone.

"I'll be there in a few minutes," Barry answered.

"Okay, bye," Rachel said.

"Bye," Barry replied before hanging up the phone.

A few of Rachel's friends came downstairs from the party after news of Rachel's injury had reached them. Ross just watched from the other side of the lobby as Rachel explained to them what happened. Ross couldn't stop observing them as they consoled Rachel, her friends were so different. It seemed like they all said goodbye before they returned to the party.

Ross saw Rachel become quite relieved when they left. He walked over and sat on the bench beside her.

"Thank you for everything," Rachel said, when he sat down.

"Anytime, Rachel," Ross said sincerely, making Rachel feel warm inside. He looked down at her leg.

"I'm sorry I ruined you're sweatshirt," Rachel said as she realized she still had it in her hands. She promptly handed him the blood covered material.

"Rachel, don't apologize," Ross replied, as he took the sweater. He then tossed it into a nearby trash bin.

"Ross, how can I make this up to you?" Rachel asked.

"Rachel I don't want you to feel like you have to do something for me. The only thing I think you should do is give Monica a call. I'm sure she'd love to see you again," Ross answered.

"I'll try," Rachel replied. Ross told Rachel Monica's phone number and Rachel put it in her phone.

An awkward silence filled the air. Neither of them really knew what to say. Rachel thought of Ross, how could she not have seen what a kind person he was while she was friends with Monica?

Ross noticed Rachel's strange expression.

"Is everything okay?" Ross asked, feeling uncomfortable.

"I was just so panicked tonight. That was scary," Rachel said, the incident was fresh in her mind, besides her other thoughts.

"It was wasn't it?" Ross responded awkwardly

"Why did you help me?" Rachel asked curiously. "I ignored you through high school. You remember that, don't you?"

"Rachel I don't care what happened back then. This was the right thing to do," Ross replied. Rachel opened her mouth to say something in reply, when Barry walked into the lobby of the building.

"Rachel. Let's go home," Barry called.

"That's my husband, I have to go. But, Ross, thank you, again," Rachel said, sincerely. Ross suddenly felt an insane amount of jealousy as he realized she had a husband. But why was he jealous? Rachel was not even a friend, he barely knew her.

"Please remember to call Monica," Ross responded. Rachel looked into his eyes and nodded. Then she closed the distance between them and gave him a hug. Ross hesitantly wrapped his arms around her, and his jealousy melted into sadness.

"Bye," Rachel whispered against his chest. Then she pulled out of the hug.

"Bye," Ross said. He watched as Rachel turned and joined Barry. Ross kept watching until they walked out the doors of the building. Ross felt alone once more.

Would he ever see Rachel again?


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I'm glad you are enjoying my story.**

**Hope you like this next chapter. :)**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

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><p>Rachel carefully walked out the front doors of the building. She warily ambled down the stairs and saw Barry's car parked in front of the apartment. She opened the car door and eased herself into the passenger seat of Barry's Mercedes. Barry got into the driver side and soon started the car. He pulled away from the curb, leaving the party behind.<p>

Barry and Rachel sat in silence for quite a while. Barry didn't even ask if Rachel was alright, which she was quick to notice. Barry just kept his eyes on the road as they made their way through the city streets.

The air in the car was filled with tension and rigidity. Rachel always felt odd around Barry; that was just how their relationship had always been.

Barry gripped the steering wheel tightly causing his knuckles to turn white. He then let out a deep breath. Rachel could tell something was wrong. After a few more minutes of silence she got her answer.

"So, who was that guy?" Barry asked curiously, as he kept his eyes on the road.

"I, um, knew him from high school. He helped me tonight," Rachel replied. Barry didn't respond, he just continued to focus his eyes on the road. Rachel awkwardly looked away from him. She stared out the car window. Then she looked down at her hurt leg and began to let her mind drift.

She thought back to how she used to treat Ross in high school. She wished she could have taken a second out of her oh-so-important life to notice how kind he was. She remembered the way he treated her a few hours ago and found herself smiling.

She remembered the way he had smiled at her when he realized who she was. But the image that stayed stuck in her mind was when his eyes lit up as they talked. She didn't know why he was so interesting, but for some reason she couldn't get his gentle, brown eyes out of her memory.

Rachel eventually felt the car come to a stop. She realized they were home. She quickly opened the door and carefully followed Barry into the lobby of their apartment building.

Barry began to walk towards the elevators. Rachel followed him but hastily stopped a few feet from the elevator doors.

"Um, Barry, could we maybe take the stairs?" Rachel asked, nervously. She just didn't feel ready to go back in an elevator after what happened the last time.

Barry turned to look at her. He didn't respond. He just nodded before turning and walking towards the stairwell.

…..

After a painful trip up the stairs, Barry and Rachel arrived at their apartment and walked inside. Rachel pulled off her shoes and decided to put them away in her walk-in closet. Rachel decided she needed to get some rest; after all she had had a stress-filled evening.

As Rachel put her shoes away and changed into her pyjamas she wondered why Barry was acting so strange. But, soon Barry entered the room and interrupted her thoughts.

"So, this guy, was he an old boyfriend?" Barry asked, suspiciously. He had just entered their bedroom door.

"No. Why would you say that?" Rachel questioned. She walked to stand on the opposite side of the bed and put her hands on her hips.

"Well, it was just the way you hugged him when we left and how you were smiling while thinking about him in the car," Barry replied.

"I-" Rachel stammered before Barry interrupted her.

"Save it Rach," Barry said, as he held up a hand. Rachel was shocked and infuriated.

"What is wrong with you? I didn't do anything wrong," Rachel shouted.

"That's the problem Rachel. I don't know what you do when you're out at these parties. How do I know that nothing happened? You and that guy were a little too friendly for my liking," Barry explained.

"What do you want me to do Barry?" Rachel all but yelled.

"I don't think you should go to parties alone anymore," Barry said. Rachel looked at him with her mouth agape.

"Well you certainly don't come with me anywhere. What am I supposed to do? Sit here and wait for you to come home?" Rachel argued. "I'm alone all of the time. I need to get out of the house."

"You can't let something like this happen again. What if someone had seen you tonight? Do you know what that would do to me if someone thought you were cheating?" Barry asked. Rachel didn't know how to respond. Barry was being so unreasonable.

Rachel just watched as Barry left the room. She felt angry tears come to her eyes and she quickly wiped them away. Then she walked over to her computer.

Rachel opened up her email and decided to write a message to her email friend. She needed a friend to vent to so she could cool down.

_Sorry it's really late, but I don't know what to do! Barry was so rude to me tonight. He's actually telling me I can't go to parties anymore! He wants to keep up this image and yet he doesn't trust me going to parties to do exactly that. I'm so frustrated with him. _

Rachel hit send and then leaned back in her desk chair and pressed her fingers to her temples. She was about to log off when her friend sent her a message.

_How many times do I have to tell you? You shouldn't be with Barry._

Rachel smiled at her friend's comment. It seemed like nowadays that was all he had to say to her. Rachel knew he was right but she couldn't bring herself to leave Barry. She didn't know what she would do, how would she afford anything? She was trained in nothing, it's not like she could divorce him, move out and get a job.

Rachel decided to answer her friend.

_And how many times do I have to tell you that it's too complicated. Not only that, but my dad would flip if I left Barry. I just can't do it. But, enough about me, how did you're night with Carol go?_

Rachel almost immediately got a reply after sending her message.

_Well we're officially getting a divorce. It's going to be weird not being married anymore!_

Rachel smiled as she replied. She had given him the advice to end his relationship with her.

_I'm so proud of you! And don't worry, you're a great guy, I'm sure you'll find someone else that any lesbian will be jealous of. ;) _

Her friend replied:

_I actually met someone tonight that I used to like back in high school._

Rachel didn't have time to reply because Barry came storming back into the room. She quickly exited off of her email to prevent him from seeing the conversation she was having with her friend.

Barry walked to their bed and pulled back the blankets. He got under the covers and looked at Rachel with a confused expression.

"Aren't you coming to bed?" Barry asked.

"Yeah," Rachel replied. She turned off the computer before getting under the covers on her side of the bed.

As she listened to Barry's breaths become slower as he drifted off to sleep she couldn't help but let a tear roll down her face. She was so unhappy in this marriage, but she couldn't do anything about it. Rachel wished more than anything that she could have the nerve to listen to her friend and leave Barry.

She looked at the picture on her nightstand once again, remembering life without being Barry's wife. Rachel wondered if this was how she would feel for the rest of her life. Or maybe she would get the courage to do something to change. But, who was she kidding; she had never taken a risk her whole life.

But maybe that was the reason to change.

…..

Ross was now completely moved out and living in a new apartment. It was a big change; he had been with Carol for so long that it felt weird to be by himself again.

Ross sighed as he unpacked his last box. He was officially moved in to his new apartment. He looked out his window at his sister's apartment, which just happened to be across the street. Even with his sister and friends so close he still felt so alone.

Ross had never lived on his own before. He went from his parents' house, to living with Chandler as his college roommate, to moving in with Carol.

Soon he was shaken from his thoughts by a knock on his door. He walked over and opened it. Standing in his hallway was Carol with Ben, who was in his stroller. Ross smiled at his son.

"Hi Ben!" Ross cooed.

"Daddy!" Ben shouted as he reached a hand out to his father.

"So, I'll come and get him tomorrow?" Carol asked.

"Sure," Ross replied. Then he took the bag that Carol held out to him. The air was filled with tension and awkwardness as the newly divorced couple stood there in the doorway.

"How are you Ross?" Carol asked hesitantly.

"You don't have to do that," Ross said bitterly, and yet he sounded sad. After a few minutes of more awkward silence Carol spoke again.

"I guess I'm going to go," Carol announced before giving Ben a kiss on the forehead.

"Bye," Ross replied. Carol shyly smiled and then turned and left.

Ross exhaled a drained sigh before bringing Ben, and his stroller, into his apartment. He shut the door behind him.

…..

Rachel left her apartment building, walking down the steps. It was a sunny day so she decided to get some fresh air and go for a walk.

The streets were filled with their normal city life. Bright yellow taxis packed the streets, people filled the sidewalks. It seemed like everyone had somewhere to be, except Rachel.

Rachel looked across the road and noticed a magazine stand. She decided to buy herself a fashion magazine. Rachel quickly crossed the street avoiding the oncoming traffic. She approached the stand curiously. After finding the new issue of Vogue that she wanted she gave the man sitting at the stand money and walked away.

Rachel began strolling along the sidewalk casually glancing around her. She admired the tall buildings and shop windows that lined the street. As she continued she noticed a couple not too far ahead of her. She saw them walking hand in hand enjoying the weather. Every so often they would look at each other and Rachel noticed the look in their eyes. She felt envious of their happiness.

Not watching where she was going, Rachel ran into someone; causing them both to drop their magazines.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," Rachel said as she quickly bent down to pick up the magazines. But the other person was too fast beating her to it. They both stood up and looked at each other.

Rachel couldn't believe her eyes. In front of her, holding out her magazine, was none other than Ross Geller.

"Don't mention it, it was my fault too," Ross responded before noticing it was Rachel that stood before him. Rachel smiled as she took her magazine from him. As Ross noticed her he grinned ear to ear.

"Thank you," Rachel said shyly, not knowing what else to say.

"What a small world," Ross commented with a laugh, remembering back to how she had used that exact phrase to describe them meeting in the elevator.

"I didn't know you lived around here," Rachel replied, with an expression of pure joy on her face.

"I just moved to a new apartment, actually," Ross replied.

"That's great," Rachel commented. "Is this your son?" Rachel asked when she finally took her eyes off of Ross. She looked at Ben as he happily sat in his stroller.

"Yeah, this is Ben," Ross responded.

"Hi Ben!" Rachel said to the little boy. Ben gazed up at Rachel and smiled at her. Ross watched as Rachel looked at his son. When Rachel returned her gaze to him he couldn't help but realize how beautiful she was as the sun hit her face and the traffic stirred up wind that blew her hair slightly.

"It's my turn to have him for the weekend," Ross explained, not knowing why he had to disclose that detail.

"So you're separated from his mother?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah we recently got a divorce," Ross explained.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Rachel responded, uncomfortably. She shifted her weight on her leg.

"So, um, how is your leg?" Ross asked changing the topic. He gestured to her calf as he referred to the injury she had sustained the last time they saw each other.

"I'm alright," Rachel answered, her heart pounding in her chest.

There was a moment where they just stood listening to the sounds of honking cars and people hurrying by. It suddenly dawned on Ross that he didn't have to be lonely anymore, now that Rachel was there with him.

"So, Rachel, do you maybe want to get a coffee with me?" Ross asked timidly as he focused on the science magazine in his hands. Rachel tried not to meet his eyes, knowing it would probably be a bad idea.

Rachel just couldn't get Barry's words out of her head.

_You can't let something like this happen again. What if someone had seen you tonight? Do you know what that would do to me if someone thought you were cheating?_

Rachel didn't want Barry to find out that she had coffee with Ross. She just knew that he would suspect that something was going on between them. She didn't want to anger Barry more than he already was.

"I can't today, I'm sorry," Rachel said quietly. Ross' face dropped in disappointment. He had finally gotten the courage to ask out Rachel Green, his dream woman, and she had turned him down.

"That's alright," Ross said, trying to fake enthusiasm.

"I should go," Rachel said as she began to back away, trying to get away from the awkwardness she had just caused.

"Okay," Ross said. "It was nice talking to you again."

"Yeah it was," Rachel said, sincerely. "Bye." Rachel turned to walk away from Ross.

"Wait," Ross said. Rachel winced in fear of what he had to say. Then she turned around to face him, looking at him curiously. Ross quickly rummaged around in his pockets. He soon pulled out a slip of paper. "Here's my number, um, give me a call if you change your mind about going for a coffee," Ross said quickly.

Rachel smiled as she took the business card from his outstretched hand.

"Thank you," Rachel said softly. "I'll talk to you again sometime," she lied. Rachel knew she wouldn't be able to see him again; she had to keep up Barry's image.

"Bye," Ross said, as he gave her a quick wave.

"Bye," Ben said as well. His little voice warmed her heart. Rachel smiled as she waved to both of them. Then she turned and left, leaving Ross, as well as herself, alone once more.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

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><p>Rachel sighed as she regrettably zipped up her suitcase. Rachel and Barry had been invited by her sister to a cabin for the weekend. Rachel agreed to go, but soon hated the idea when she found out her parents and her other sister was also coming. Now she would have to deal with her entire family for the weekend.<p>

Rachel didn't like her family's conflicting personalities and strange idea about how life should be lived. There was only so much time she could spend with them.

Rachel's family was very predictable. Her two sisters were spoiled and shallow, her mother lived to gossip and her father was easily angered. All of their qualities and Rachel's feeling about the lifestyle they lived were not a good combination.

The fact that Barry wasn't able to get the weekend off of work made this all worse. Not only did Rachel have to spend time with her family but she was alone too. Now she would have to answer her parent's inquiries about Barry, as well as herself.

Rachel rolled her suitcase into the living room. She rounded the corner and saw her housekeeper dusting off a side table.

"Goodbye, Ida," Rachel said, as she walked through the room. The plump woman with greying hair looked up and smiled.

"You have fun Mrs. Farber," Ida responded with a knowing smile. Rachel often had the feeling that this sweet lady knew how she felt. Ida didn't say much but her eyes and smiles told Rachel a thousand words.

Rachel exited the apartment and walked down the stairs to the main lobby. When she got outside she pulled her bag behind her and went to the underground parking lot. She put her suitcase in the trunk of her BMW before she climbed in and drove away.

Rachel had always thought that her car was so impractical. She was home most of the time and she could take a taxi to the few places she went to. She didn't need a car, let alone an expensive, flashy car. But Barry bought it for her anyways; she didn't even ask for it.

Rachel drove on highway after highway until, after about two hours, she turned onto a road that winded through the snow-covered forest. Rachel drove until she reached a clearing behind the cabin. She parked the car beside her parent's car and then got out. Her boots crunched in the snow as she grabbed her bag and walked up the path to the front door.

Rachel looked up at her sister's cabin. It was made of logs but it was quite modern with giant windows and a stone chimney. The lights on either side of the door cast a warm glow across the snow.

It was already evening and the sun was setting, making the forest dark. The last rays of sunlight cast shadows of the many tree branches. The wind swirled across the snowy clearing causing Rachel to quicken her pace to get into the warm.

Rachel walked up the steps and rang the doorbell. Soon the large, wooden door swung open to reveal Rachel's sister, Amy.

"Mom, Rachel's here!" Amy shouted into the hallway. Rachel rolled her eyes at her sister's manners; not even a greeting was uttered.

"Hello to you too, Amy," Rachel said sarcastically to her younger sister.

"Oh yeah, hi," Amy responded, distractedly. "Your bedroom is up the stairs and the second door to your left." Amy sauntered away into the next room.

Rachel took off her coat and boots at the entrance before entering the hallway. There was a grand wood staircase in front of her, but she decided she would go to her bedroom later. She followed the voices she heard coming from the other room.

As soon as she entered the large family room through a wooden archway she noticed her family. Her parents were on a couch in front of the fireplace. Amy and her husband had just entered from the kitchen and Jill and her boyfriend shared an armchair.

Rachel wondered if her father had helped Amy purchase this cabin. It looked like a page out of a magazine with all the different wood, high ceilings and outdoor themed décor. There were two story windows that had a wonderful view over the ski slopes and forest.

"Rachel, sweetie!" Sandra Green exclaimed as she walked over to her daughter with outstretched arms. "Where's Barry?" She asked after she pulled out of the hug.

"He had to work," Rachel replied, trying to hide how annoyed she was that the questions were already beginning.

"Sweet pea!" Leonard Green greeted as he walked over to Rachel.

"Hi Daddy!" Rachel said, before hugging her father.

…..

Soon dinner was served. Everyone sat around the table. Rachel found out that Jill's new boyfriend was named Adam. Amy had her husband, Liam, meaning Rachel was the only sister alone.

The dinner conversation had been going well so far, but Rachel knew that couldn't last long. Rachel was anxious to hear what information her parents would want to wring out of her. Sure enough Rachel's mother became her nosey self.

"So, Rachel darling you've been married to Barry for quite some time. Have you given a thought to when you will have kids?" Sandra asked. Rachel almost choked on her drink, not expecting that question. Rachel nervously looked down at her plate and began picking at her food as all heads turned to focus on her.

"Well, I, um, don't know if I ever want to be a mother," Rachel stuttered, fearfully. Sandra looked at her as if she had said something terrible or even offensive.

"Rachel, why wouldn't you want to have a family?" Sandra asked in a shocked tone. Again, all eyes focused on Rachel. Rachel looked down for a second time, but their eyes bored into her making her feel uncomfortable.

"Well, Barry works a lot and I wouldn't want to raise a child on my own," Rachel replied, hoping her mother would be satisfied. But nothing was ever that simple.

"Rachel, sweetie, don't be silly you won't be alone. Barry would hire a full time nanny to help you, just like your father hired a nanny to help me raise you three girls," Sandra explained. Rachel didn't know how to respond. Luckily Amy cut in.

"Liam and I are trying to have a baby," Amy said, gloatingly. She then held her husband's hand on the table. All eyes turned on her now, and Rachel was glad for once that her sister always wanted to be the centre of attention.

…..

Rachel was alone in one of the guest bedrooms. She lie awake in the unfamiliar bed just thinking about her crazy life. Her parents had continued with questions all night and Rachel had seemed to constantly give them the wrong answer which only made them worry about her.

Rachel's father and mother were often quite concerned by their daughter. Growing up, Rachel was the same as her sisters: spoiled, outgoing, shallow. But every day she became more and more different. The Greens didn't know how to deal with such abnormal behaviour; they never thought Rachel would become who she was. They worried about her and the image she could wreck.

Rachel just didn't fit into this lifestyle she was expected to live. Instead of supporting her decisions her parents were practically angry with her.

Rachel didn't want to live like this. She hated having a life where everything was so predictable. She knew what was going to happen every day for the rest of her life, and that was what she disliked most.

Tears began to run down Rachel's face and onto her pillowcase. Why couldn't she find the courage to live her life the way she wanted? She knew it couldn't healthy to feel this way. She didn't like feeling trapped in this mould her parents had tried to force her into. But no matter how hard they pushed, she just wasn't cut out for this life.

Rachel had finally reached her breaking point.

Rachel viciously whipped off her blankets and got up out of bed. She desperately needed someone to talk to, she felt so alone and so confused. She marched across the room in the dark trying her best to not run into anything.

The house was silent, her family was asleep. The only sound came from her bare feet on the cold hardwood floor and her rapid breaths that panted from her lungs.

The only question in her mind was who would she talk to? Her sisters wouldn't understand, she didn't even want to consider talking to them. Then the answer hit her, she needed to find a computer.

Rachel walked down the hallway trying not to make too much noise. Her footsteps echoed through the hall as she walked past door after door, only guided by the moonlight coming through the windows. Soon she found what she was looking for, an office.

Rachel opened the door casting a slit of light across the floor all the way to a desk on the opposite side of the room. She walked into the dark room, letting her eyes adjust before walking over to the desk.

Rachel carefully sat down in the high-backed, leather desk chair which sat in front of the computer. She turned it on and waited, wiping her tears as she sat there.

The room was illuminated by the monitor's light as the computer turned on, causing Rachel to squint. She was soon logged into her email and typing as quietly as she could. Her tears fell onto the keyboard as she entered her message.

She knew her friend would understand, and she just needed to get her emotions out.

_I need you to be completely honest with me. Is my life strange? I've been talking to you for quite some time now about this life where I have to live up to everyone else's standards. I'm in a loveless marriage and I'm too much of a coward to get out of it. I just can't imagine why you talk to me, but I need you now more than ever. _

_I just can't do this anymore. Why am I doing this to myself? I can't live like this any longer. I don't fit in to this lifestyle my parents have given me. I think I have finally decided to leave Barry. I just don't know how. _

Rachel tried to stifle her sobs that shook her body, making her hands tremble on the keyboard. She had to pause for a moment to collect herself. She breathed out a shaky breath and hit send. As she leaned back in the chair she glanced at the clock on the screen, it read 2:26am. Her heart sank when she realized her friend wouldn't be awake to answer her.

Rachel turned off the computer and headed back to her room. What would she do now? She desperately needed someone to talk to.

Rachel ambled back to her bedroom and threw herself on her bed. She crawled into a ball, hugging her knees to her chest. Rachel took in the bedroom around her. The deep green walls and soft bed did nothing to comfort her.

Rachel noticed a phone on her bedside table. She sighed with regret as she picked it up and dialled her friend Mindy's phone number. With all of the late calls she had received from Mindy over the years she knew she wouldn't mind.

Rachel waited impatiently as the phone rang and rang. Then Mindy picked up.

"Hello?" Mindy's sleepy voice answered.

"Min, it's Rachel. I really need to talk to you," Rachel whispered, worriedly.

"Rach, what's wrong?" Mindy said alarmed by her friend's tone of voice.

"I'm at Amy's cabin with my family. Just being here and having questions fired at me about Barry it reminds me how much I hate this way of living," Rachel whispered.

"Rachel what are you talking about?" Mindy asked, confused by Rachel's words.

"I'm talking about how I hate not working and not having anything to do at home alone. I'm talking about my loveless marriage," Rachel explained.

"I didn't know you felt that way…" Mindy said softly.

"Ever since my wedding day, I've hated being married to Barry. And I hated this way of living long before that. I just need someone to talk to about this," Rachel said, trying to keep her voice low.

"What does this mean?" Mindy asked, still in shock.

"It means I'm having second thoughts about being married to Barry," Rachel admitted. Suddenly it felt like a weight was lifted off of her shoulders. She had finally been truthful about her feelings.

"What?" is all Mindy could sputter after she took a moment to take in what Rachel was telling her.

"I want a marriage where I feel loved and where my husband pays attention to me. I just want a normal life where I can work to earn things and raise children without hired help. I want a life like Ross Geller's; I talked to him a little while ago. He works hard and raises his son on his own. I want a life like his, a life with purpose," Rachel explained building confidence with every word she spoke.

"Rachel I'm sure this is just a phase. I think everyone goes through a time in their life where they want something different. I'm sure you'll get over this," Mindy said, partially trying to calm her own self down.

"Min, I don't think I'll ever get over this feeling. I've felt this way for so long and I'm so fed up. I think I have to leave Barry, and leave this life," Rachel said. Mindy didn't answer for a while, she was so shocked.

Little did Rachel know, Mindy was not the only one that was hearing about these feelings. Jill had heard Rachel talking and moving around. So, being nosy, she got up to see what her sister was doing up so late. She had stopped at the door when she heard a few words of Rachel's conversation.

Jill stood there and eavesdropped the whole time Rachel talked to Mindy. She had just overheard everything Rachel had said about her decisions to leave Barry. Jill decided she had to tell someone, so she returned to her room and went to bed, waiting for morning.

…..

In the morning Jill walked downstairs and spotted her father. He was sitting at the kitchen table, drinking coffee and reading a newspaper.

Jill strolled over to him and sat in the chair across from him. She figured this was the perfect opportunity to suck up to her father.

"Daddy, you'll never believe what I heard Rachel say," Jill said, mischievously.

"What, sweetie?" Leonard asked peering over the top of his paper.

"She said that she's leaving Barry," Jill tattled, enjoying the rush of getting her sister in trouble.

"What? Why?" Leonard asked angrily as he smacked the newspaper onto the table in front of him.

"I don't know. Something about Ross Geller," Jill answered, shrugging her shoulders. Leonard sat there fuming. Why would Rachel even think about such a thing?


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Hello everyone. I just wanted to respond to a review I received, but it might be something on other people's mind too:**

**I am deeply sorry, but I can only update once a week. I am a perfectionist so these things take me a while and, at the moment, I really don't have much spare time. For the time being, it is not possible for me to update more. I hope you all understand.**

**But please enjoy the new chapter and don't forget to review. Please enjoy. :)**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

* * *

><p>Rachel woke up and rubbed the dried up tears that sat on her cheeks. New tears filled her eyes as she remembered what she had happened the previous night. Rachel shook the thoughts from her mind and decided to go skiing.<p>

She quickly dressed and hurried down the stairs. The cabin was quiet; she figured everyone was most likely asleep still.

Rachel scribbled a quick note and stuck it on the kitchen table for her family, explaining where she had gone. She grabbed a pair of skis and poles from the front hall closet and walked out the door to begin her trek through the snow, towards the slopes.

Rachel needed some time alone to think and just clear her mind after the night she had had.

Rachel walked down a winding footpath that snaked through the forest. The sun was shining through the snow covered trees casting shadows across her path. Rachel's ski boots crunched through the glistening snow. Rachel breathed in the fresh pine scent and exhaled seeing her breath swirl through winter air.

She eventually reached the ski lift and hopped on to ride it to the top of the towering peak. She hopped off at the topmost point and soon began her descent. She skied back and forth, her skis crunching and carving the snowy ground. She felt the frigid wind against her face as she went faster and faster.

Skiing always gave Rachel time to think about all of her troubles. This time, she thought about her decision to leave Barry. A thousand unanswered questions rattled through her mind. Where would she go? How would her parents feel about her choice? What would Barry say?

Rachel reached the bottom of the hill and immediately headed back to the lift. She repeated this cycle over and over, but she got nowhere near answering her questions. She had found the courage to face her fears, but she was completely alerted by the fear that she didn't think everything through before opening her mouth.

Rachel felt like she needed more time to decide how to handle this situation. She didn't know how to go any further. She was almost certain it was a bad idea to tell Mindy about wanting a divorce without knowing what to do about it.

She felt lost.

Then she remembered the email she had sent to her friend the night before. She desperately wanted to know what he thought, maybe he could help her. She took her skis off and almost ran back towards the cabin.

…..

Rachel walked inside and took off all of her outdoor clothing. She put her skis away before walking further inside. She noticed it was still quiet in the house; her family was probably out skiing.

Rachel longed for a drink of water, so she made her way to the kitchen. Rachel wandered over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. She twisted off the cap and began drinking when a voice from behind her made her jump.

"Rachel, can I talk to you for a minute?" Leonard asked, his irate voice breaking the silence. Rachel almost chocked on her water, half from shock and half from his tone. She knew she was in trouble. Rachel twisted the cap back on her water and turned around to timidly face her father.

The look on his face, alone, sent shivers down her spine. He sat at the kitchen table, with his arms crossed. Rachel hadn't even noticed he was there.

"S-sure. What's wrong?" Rachel asked, trying to keep her nerves under control.

"Sit down Rachel," Leonard commanded, intensely. Rachel did what her father said and quickly took a seat across from him.

"Why would you ever even consider leaving Barry?" Leonard questioned as he cocked his head and stared at Rachel through his glasses. Rachel couldn't breathe for a few seconds. How did her father find out?

"W-what?" Was all Rachel could stammer.

"Do you not appreciate the life we have set you up in?" Leonard spat, leaning across the table.

"Of course I do Daddy," Rachel responded hastily, her heart pounding faster with anticipation.

"Then how could you even thinkabout divorcing Barry? Does he not give you everything you could ever want? Do you know what divorcing him would do to our family's image?" Leonard ranted.

"Yes, but-" was all Rachel could utter before her father interrupted her.

"Barry is better suited for you than Ross Geller will ever be!" Leonard shouted. Rachel couldn't believe the words that had just come out of her father's mouth. How did he know about that? Did he hear her conversation with Mindy? Rachel didn't know what to say.

"Ross Geller is-" Rachel was about to argue back, when suddenly they heard the front door open.

"Hello? Is anyone home?" Barry's voice echoed through the cabin. He had the worst timing. Rachel closed her mouth losing her nerve, to argue with her father while her husband was there. Leonard immediately pushed away from the table and stood up.

"Yes, in here!" Leonard called. Rachel sat there watching, her anger just swirling in her head. Barry walked into the kitchen and as soon as Leonard saw him he pulled him into a hug. When they stopped he talked to Barry as if everything were normal.

…..

Ross sat at his desk in his bedroom. He tapped his fingers on the table, impatiently, as he waited for his email to load. When he saw he had a new message from his friend a smile spread across his face.

Ross opened the email and read it to himself.

_I need you to be completely honest with me. Is my life strange? I've been talking to you for quite some time now about this life where I have to live up to everyone else's standards. I'm in a loveless marriage and I'm too much of a coward to get out of it. I just can't imagine why you talk to me, but I need you now more than ever. _

_I just can't do this anymore. Why am I doing this to myself? I can't live like this any longer. I don't fit in to this lifestyle my parents have given me. I think I have finally decided to leave Barry. I just don't know how. _

Ross read the message once, twice, three times before he thought of how to respond.

Her words held so much pain and helplessness. When he noticed she had sent it at 2:26am in the morning he knew she desperately needed his help. He answered her back the best he could.

_Honestly, your life isn't strange. Sure it's different than most people, but it's not strange. I think no matter what kind of life you live sometimes you don't feel like you fit in._

_I've been waiting so long for you to finally realize these things you're telling me. I've tried so hard to make you understand that being with Barry is not right for you, and it pains me to know how unhappy you are with him. _

_I know you can do this. I know you can leave him and make a better life for yourself, even if you don't know where you're going. Right now you have no fear pushing you to find a life that makes you happy, which is why you need to leave. _

_You gave me the advice to leave Carol. Now I want you to take my advice, you won't regret it. I'm proud of you and I'm so glad you're doing this. I'm here for you. Don't look back, don't second guess yourself. You can be whoever you want to be._

At that moment Ross heard Ben's whimpers from the next room, he had him for the weekend again. Ross quickly skimmed back over the message before he hit send, hoping he was at least the slightest bit helpful towards his friend.

Ross got up from his desk to comfort his son. He walked into Ben's bedroom and saw him standing up with tears streaming down his face. Ben pouted as Ross picked him up out of his crib. He hugged him close and then sat him on his hip.

"Do you want to go visit Aunt Monica?" Ross asked as he rubbed Ben's back to comfort nodded his head and sniffled softly.

…..

Ross pushed Ben's stroller across the street to Monica's apartment. Luckily it was Monica's day off of work, and Ross knew how much she loved spending time with her nephew.

"Hi Ben!" Monica greeted looking down at her nephew. Ben smiled at her and raised his arms for her to pick him up. Monica unbuckled him and picked him up out of the stroller. "How are you Ben? It's been a long time since I last saw you, hasn't it?" Monica said to Ben in a sweet voice.

Monica gave Ross a smile before she carried Ben into the apartment. Ross followed and parked the stroller against one of the purple walls. Monica placed Ben on the floor so he could play with his toys. A few silent minutes passed.

"You've been quiet," Monica stated as she turned to Ross who was just watching Ben play on the carpet. "Ross?" Monica asked when Ross didn't look at her. He was blankly staring into space.

"Oh, um what?" Ross responded as he broke free of his trance and looked at his sister.

"Is something wrong?" Monica asked.

"Nothing's wrong," Ross denied, trying to sound convincing. Ross had so much clouding his mind. He thought of his friend he had emailed. He hoped she would take his advice.

"Why are you acting so strange?" Monica asked she watched her brother distractedly look at Ben again. Ross considered telling her about the person he'd been emailing, but thought of a less complicated story to share with her. He faced Monica again, who now had her hands on her hips.

"Actually I've been meaning to tell you that I ran into Rachel the other day," Ross explained. Monica furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"Rachel who? Rachel Green?" Monica questioned. Ross smiled at her and nodded.

"Yeah, Rachel Green, well actually now she's Rachel Farber," Ross clarified. His smile disappeared as he mentioned that.

"That's incredible!" Monica all but shouted. Ross nodded and then let out a sigh.

"I told her to call you," Ross admitted, Monica's smile faded as she realized that since she hadn't gotten a call Rachel probably didn't want to see her again.

Monica watched as Ross walked away from where they were standing to go grab a drink from the fridge. When he returned to where she stood, he opened the bottle of juice and took a sip.

Monica began to think of Rachel. They were best friends in high school and a little in college, but then something changed. Rachel stopped hanging out with her as often, and soon they drifted apart.

Ross avoided her eyes. She remembered how her brother felt about Rachel in high school. He had a huge crush on her back then, he had always tried to hide it from her but she had found out.

"You still love her, don't you?" Monica burst out. Ross swallowed his drink, scrunching his face in protest.

"Wh-what? No," Ross sputtered, shaking his head. Monica saw right through him.

"Yes you do," Monica said with a genuine smile.

Ross reflected about Rachel. She was his first real crush; he loved her since the ninth grade. She was always so beautiful, and although she was shallow on the outside, Ross knew that she had a big heart on the inside. Rachel had convinced him that when she stayed friends with Monica through high school, even if Monica wasn't as cool or as popular as she was.

Lately Ross had been thinking about her a lot. He reminisced about the last time he saw her. There was something about her that just captivated him. Her smile, her laugh, her voice, he couldn't get her off his mind.

"I don't know, I guess I do still like her," Ross said with an embarrassed smile. "But it doesn't matter how I feel, she's married," Ross explained, frustrated, as he realized the truth behind this fact. He could never be with her, even if he did see her again.

"Have you been dating at all since you left Carol?" Monica inquired. Ross shook his head.

"No but I have been talking to this girl over the internet," Ross admitted.

"Ross that's dangerous," Monica commented.

"How exactly?" Ross questioned, he took another sip of his drink.

"You don't know who this person is. They're a stranger," Monica said loudly, trying to come up with a valid point.

"But I do know her. I know she's in a horrible marriage and living a horrible lifestyle. I know she needs someone to talk to, and that she's lovely and kind. She gave me the push to divorce Carol, and I want to do the same for her. She deserves someone better than who she's with. She deserves to feel happy with her life. She's helped me so much, and I want to return the favour," Ross explained. Monica noticed the look on his face.

"I think you like her too," Monica said. Ross had never really thought of it like that before. This person had always been just a friend. Someone he could trust with his secrets, someone to talk to. Then again he knew this person so well, and she was so nice.

"I guess I could. But, again, she's married," Ross sighed.

"You did say that she's in a horrible marriage. Maybe when she divorces the guy she'll want to meet you," Monica reasoned. In her head she was practically planning out the perfect way for them to get together.

Ross thought about it for a moment. He could be the shoulder for her to cry on. Then he immediately changed his mind. He needed to be a friend for her to trust and rely on for help, not a guy to hit on her when she divorced her husband. Ross couldn't do that to her.

"I couldn't do that to her," Ross explained. "Why is it that I keep falling for the women I can't have? I keep looking for love in all of the wrong places," Ross wined. "I have just been feeling so lonely," Ross wined, once again.

"Why don't you stay with me? Isn't it strange that we both live by ourselves across the street from each other? Why don't you move here, that way you'll be with me," Monica suggested.

"I couldn't do that to you Mon. Plus I don't need to be pitied. I just need to find something to cheer me up," Ross explained.

"Well, just know that I'm here for you. And I know the right girl for you will come along," Monica said sweetly. Ross gave her a smile and pulled her into a hug. Maybe things would work out in time.

…..

Rachel went to bed extremely early that night. She just couldn't deal with her father any longer. All evening he had been showing her how great Barry was. Rachel just needed to get away from it all.

She went up the wooden staircase to her bedroom, all alone. She climbed under the blankets and soon dozed off exhausted from her mind which was still buzzing with thoughts and what ifs.

Rachel soon woke up, or had she really fallen asleep? She happened to see that the space beside her was empty. Where was Barry anyways?

Rachel got up out of bed to search for him. She crept down the hallway, passed Jill's room and the bathroom. Then Rachel heard a noise coming from the next room. She knew it was Amy and she wanted to ask her if she had seen Barry.

Rachel knocked gently on the door before walking into Amy's bedroom. There was one side table lamp illuminating the room. Rachel had to squint to see after coming from the dark hallway.

When her eyes adjusted to the brightness, Rachel gasped at the sight before her eyes. She had found Barry.

"Rachel!" Barry said surprized as he hastily broke his kiss with Amy.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Thanks for the reviews. Please enjoy. :)**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

* * *

><p>Barry pushed Amy away from him, which of whom he was sitting on her bed with.<p>

Rachel remained in the doorway; her emotions paralyzed her as they surged through her body.

Rage, sadness, pain, shock.

Tears stung her eyes, her breathing became fast and shallow as she beheld the sight in front of her. It felt like time stood still for the few seconds she witnessed their embrace.

Even if she didn't love Barry, to see him with her sister of all people made her feel betrayed. She couldn't get the image to stop replaying in her mind. Barry's hands gripping Amy's back, pulling her close to him, her hands on his face, as they engaged in a frantic kiss.

Barry stared at Rachel's face. He seemed to appear regretful as he sat next to Amy, his body tense and a panic stricken stare filling in his eyes. Or was he just shocked to have been found? He looked traumatized to see Rachel, whom he had assumed was still asleep in their bedroom down the hall.

All of Rachel's emotions turned into pure anger. She narrowed her eyes at the two people in front of her, giving them an icy glare.

"What do you think you're doing?" Rachel asked bitterly. She crossed her arms. She expected things like this from Amy but not Barry.

"We, uh…" was all Barry could stutter.

"You are both married," Rachel pointed out. Barry looked pale and sweaty as he desperately tried to think of something to say. Meanwhile Amy didn't appear to be bothered by this situation at all.

"So? We always make out after you go to sleep," Amy said, casually. Rachel's jaw fell open in disbelief as she inhaled rapidly. Barry eyes widened as he turned to glower at Amy.

With that, Rachel spun on her heal and hurriedly returned to her room. Barry quickly stood up from the bed and chased after her.

When Rachel got back to their bedroom she ignored Barry's presence and grabbed her winter jacket.

"Rachel, stop," Barry continuously spoke as he followed her every move. Rachel didn't respond, ignoring his desperate attempts to get her attention.

Barry had only cheated because he was unhappy in their marriage too. Sometimes he did love Rachel but most of the time he felt like they were drifting apart.

He was a doctor making money for her. Why didn't she appreciate that?

Barry admitted he had reached his breaking point when he saw his wife hugging another man. He couldn't control himself; he needed to let his feelings out somehow. Maybe it wasn't the right choice to do that by cheating, but he knew he couldn't let Rachel leave now.

There was too much on the line, and that was what it always boiled down to. Even if he wasn't happy his parents were proud of his life and so were Rachel's. He didn't want to ruin that.

Rachel rushed down the stairs with Barry right on her heals. She put on her boots and violently threw open the front door. She aggressively swung the door shut behind her, which Barry stopped with his hands before it hit him.

She trudged through the snow towards her car and opened the door. But Barry raced ahead of her and stood in her way.

"Move Barry," Rachel said through her gritted teeth.

"No, I-I can't let you go," Barry replied. Rachel decided to hear him out. She closed her car door forcefully. Then she turned to him and glared while crossing her arms.

"Why?" Rachel asked venomously.

"Please, we can work this out," Barry said quickly as he held his hands out trying to calm her. Rachel shook her head.

"Work this out? Barry, what is there to work out?" Rachel asked.

"Listen, I'm sorry Rachel. I don't know what came over me," Barry pleaded. Rachel gave him a look telling him she didn't believe him.

"Why did you do it?" Rachel said a little softer.

"I guess I just felt like I needed comfort from them. I thought you were cheating on me," Barry admitted. He left out the part about feeling like their marriage was falling apart; not wanting to add fuel to the fire and give her a reason to argue that she had to leave.

"Whoa, hold on a second. Them?" Rachel asked. Barry realized his slip up.

"Um, I also cheated with, uh, Mindy," Barry confessed, as he cringed. Rachel didn't know what to say. Her husband cheated on her with her best friend as well as her sister. Rachel couldn't wrap her head around the idea. All this time she had thought Mindy was someone to rely on, when in fact she was just as bad as Barry.

"What made you think I was cheating?" Rachel asked, furiously.

"When I saw you at that party with that guy, I just thought-" Barry began, but Rachel interrupted him.

"You thought I was cheating with him? You cheated on me because you thought something happened with Ross?" Rachel practically shouted. "I innocently go to a party and you think I'm cheating?"

"Well I have no way to know what's going on at those parties when you go alone," Barry tried to defend himself. Rachel just stared at him in confusion.

"You expect me to accept that as the reason you cheated on me with not one but _two_ people? Why didn't you believe me when I said nothing happened with him?" Rachel asked.

"Rachel I'm sorry-" Barry pleaded, before Rachel interjected again.

"No Barry! I've had it! You never let me out of the house, and yet you expect me to keep up this image that is not truly me. I can't take this anymore!" Rachel yelled at him, angry tears coming to her eyes.

Rachel turned and wiped the tears off of her cheeks. Barry just looked down at the snow covered ground. He didn't know how to respond to Rachel. He began to shiver in the cold winter air.

He did feel bad that his lifestyle came at a cost of her happiness. But it wasn't worth it to end things and make their parents upset.

After a few moments of silence, Rachel took a deep breath and turned back around.

"Are you happy in this marriage?" Rachel asked. Her voice was now calm and hoarse from her tears. Barry knew he wasn't happy but he couldn't admit it. He had to make her stay with him. It may have been selfish to be thinking this way, but he couldn't let her go and face their parents alone.

"I-I don't know…" Barry responded.

"Everything just isn't going the way I thought it would. I mean, I grew up hearing all these stories about how great it is to live this way. I thought it would be great to not have to work a day of my life and still have everything I could ever want. But it turns out I don't have everything I could ever want, something's missing," Rachel explained as Barry listened intently.

"What do you mean?" Barry inquired. He had never heard her express these feelings before.

"I mean, I don't love you Barry. I don't feel loved, I don't feel like I even have a husband sometimes," Rachel admitted. Barry was taken aback; he had not expected her to admit that. He felt the same way, but he knew he had to hold on desperately to this marriage.

"But I do love you," Barry responded. He was beginning to feel guilty but he needed her to stay.

"Really Barry? You love me? You're looking for comfort in other women and you're in this marriage for all the wrong reasons," Rachel said. "That's not love. You can try to convince me, and yourself, that you love me but really you just have an image to keep up."

"I don't know Rachel," Barry said. It was hard to not give in, he knew she was right.

"Tell me this: when you imagine our future what do you see? Because I sure as hell have no idea where we go from here," Rachel confessed.

"I guess you're right. But what can we do?" Barry asked with a shrug.

"I want a divorce," Rachel stated. Barry raised his eyebrows as he looked at her like she was crazy.

"That's not going to happen," Barry declared with assurance.

"Why not? We are both unhappy," Rachel argued, as she threw her hands in front of her.

"Think of what that would do to your parents, my parents, me. It would be humiliating," Barry explained as if it were obvious. It was hard to control his anger as it boiled through his veins.

"I don't care Barry. You don't control me," Rachel argued raising her voice once more.

"Hey, I'm just looking out for you. You know what society we're part of, divorce is not acceptable," Barry lectured hoping she would remember that and stay. But, Rachel rolled her eyes.

"Barry, I'm done with this lifestyle. I'm tired of living up to everyone else's standards. I've never liked this," Rachel explained. Barry just stared at her in disbelief.

"Don't do this Rach," Barry begged.

"I have to," Rachel stated timidly.

"No, I'm telling you not to," Barry demanded, furiously.

"You can't tell me what to do anymore. I can make my own decisions," Rachel said calmly.

"Don't go," Barry pleaded. He knew he was over the line with the cheating, but to have her leave wouldn't do him any good.

"I'll send you the divorce papers, Barry," Rachel stated. Then she pushed past him like a turnstile as he stood there stunned. Rachel opened her car door and climbed inside.

She turned the keys in the ignition, when suddenly there was a tap on her window. Rachel pressed the button to roll the window down. Barry crouched down to talk to her.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"I don't know yet. All I know is that anywhere is better than here," Rachel answered with a small smile. With that she rolled the window up. Barry stepped away from the car.

Rachel drove away leaving Barry standing alone in the snowy clearing.

…..

Rachel drove back to New York City unsure of what to do. She felt slightly panicked not knowing where to go.

Rachel decided to go back to her apartment, but not for long. If Barry did follow her she didn't want to talk to him at this point in time.

She arrived at the apartment and went up the many flights of stairs, still living with the slight phobia of elevators. When she unlocked the door and walked inside the atmosphere felt much colder and uninviting than usual. It was dead silent; the only sound came from Rachel's footsteps against the floor.

Rachel threw her keys onto the coffee table. Suddenly the sound of the phone ringing broke the silence. Rachel jumped in shock, putting her hand over her pounding heart.

When her breathing had calmed down she picked up the phone.

"Hello?" Rachel answered.

"Rachel Karen Farber, what the hell do you think you are doing young lady?" Rachel knew right away the furious voice of her father.

"I went home," Rachel replied, nervously.

"Don't you get smart with me. What makes you think you can divorce Barry?" Leonard asked. "Your mother and I worked hard to set up this life for you and this is how you repay us, by disgracing our family?"

"Daddy, I'm sorry but I can't stay married to him. I don't love him," Rachel responded, on the verge of tears.

"Don't you care what everyone thinks?" Leonard asked, still angry.

"No I don't. I can't live this way and I don't know why you want me to," Rachel explained. She listened as he father let out a breath of air.

"Rachel, either you stay with him or you will have to find your own money for a divorce," Leonard explained.

"I guess I'm getting a job then," Rachel answered.

"Where are you going to live?" Leonard enquired.

"I don't know but anywhere is better than here. Tell Barry not to try and find me. I'll talk to him later," Rachel stated. She walked over to get ready to hang up the phone.

"I hope you realize that I'm not going to give you money anymore," Leonard threatened, trying to win her over.

"I don't want your money," Rachel stated. "Goodbye."

Rachel hung up with confidence, but it slowly faded as she stood there staring at the phone. She began to panic again, not knowing what to do next.

Rachel walked through her apartment trying to figure out a plan. She ran her hand along a table but stopped when she touched a decorative bowl. She peered inside it and noticed a few bills and coins of money. She shoved the money into her pockets.

She continued to walk into her bedroom. She considered lying down and sleeping knowing she could decide what to do in the morning. But Rachel scrapped that idea when she remembered that Barry may follow her home, leading to another argument.

She contemplated where to go. A friend's house wasn't a good idea since her only friends were part of the life she was trying to escape. Maybe she could stay at a hotel for the night.

Rachel went into the drawer of her bedside table, figuring she could find more money pay for a hotel room. She searched through the depths of her drawer but came up empty handed.

Rachel sat on her bed completely defeated and frustrated. She put her head in her hands and let out all of the emotions she held inside. She sat on the edge of her bed and sobbed.

After what felt like hours Rachel finally took her head out of her hands and wiped her eyes. Crying wasn't going to solve anything. She looked at the clock on her bedside table; it was 10:48pm. She sighed and looked around her dark bedroom, she hadn't even bothered turning the lights on.

Then something in her drawer caught her eye. Rachel reached inside and pulled out a small, square piece of paper. She read what was written on the card.

_Dr. Ross Geller PhD_

_Professor of Paleontology, New York University_

_Home: 555-7923_

_Office: 555-9157_

Rachel pondered giving him a call, she didn't know what else to do. Noticing she'd left her cell phone at the cabin she walked back into the living room to use the phone.

Rachel dialled the number and then anxiously waited as the phone rang. She played with the card in her fingers as she waited. She hoped it wasn't too late to call, but after a few rings he picked up.

"Hello?" Ross' voice answered.

"Hi, Ross it's Rachel Farber," Rachel said trying her best to sound normal.

"Oh, hi Rachel. Is, um, something wrong? You sound upset," Ross noticed.

"As a matter of fact there is something wrong. I've decided to divorce my husband," Rachel said slowly.

"Wow, that's too bad. I know how you feel right now," Ross said.

"The reason I called you is that I really don't have anyone to talk to. I know we don't know each other very well but I was hoping you could help me. I'm just feeling really alone and I don't know who else to turn to, I don't have anyone to stay with either," Rachel explained as tears came to her eyes once again.

"Rachel, it's okay don't cry. Why don't you come over and we'll sort this out," Ross said, sympathetically.

"Thanks Ross," Rachel replied. Ross told Rachel his address before they said their goodbyes and hung up.

Rachel got up from the couch and walked out the door. She hoped this would be her last time out the doors of that building. It was raining when Rachel got to the street. She decided to take a taxi and leave her car, since it was really Barry's.

With her step into the cab, the new chapter in her life could begin.

…..

Rachel was dropped off on an unfamiliar street corner. The spray from the cars and the drops of rain soaked her to the skin. She quickly ran up the steps of Ross' building. She followed his directions and walked up to apartment 3B.

Her hair dripped with water and her clothes were soaked. She walked down the halls shivering from the cold.

When Rachel reached the right apartment she knocked on the door. It didn't take long for Ross to open it.

"You're soaked! Come in, please," Ross said as he ushered Rachel inside.

Rachel glanced into his apartment and noticed she was not the only guest Ross had over. Sitting on Ross' brown leather sofa was a woman with blond hair and a smile on her face.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Reviews are greatly appreciated. Enjoy the chapter. :)**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

* * *

><p>The woman stood from her seat on the couch and began to stride towards Ross and Rachel. Ross closed the front door behind Rachel with a thud. Rachel stood in the entrance of Ross' apartment as the woman beamed a huge smile extending her hand to greet her.<p>

"Hi, I'm Phoebe! I'm one of Ross' friends," Phoebe said cheerfully. Rachel took her hand and shook it. The look in Phoebe's eyes was unlike anything Rachel had ever seen. Her eyes alone were full of friendliness and enthusiasm.

"I'm Rachel," She replied. Phoebe smiled again from ear to ear.

"Don't worry, I know," Phoebe responded, giddily. Ross abruptly cut into their conversation.

"Um, so I'll see you later, Pheebs?" Ross interjected, his voice full of panic. Phoebe gave Rachel a quick wink. Rachel didn't have a clue what all that was about, but she timidly smiled back at Phoebe.

Before Rachel had arrived Ross had been telling Phoebe about his feelings. Phoebe now knew about Ross' high school crush and the fact that he still had feelings for her.

"Yeah, it's getting late, isn't it?" Phoebe asked as she gave Ross an amused glance. Ross shifted his gaze to the floor, trying to pretend not to notice Phoebe's stare.

Phoebe had told Ross to ask Rachel out again, but Ross had decided not to since she needed him to be there for her right now. Phoebe tried to convince him to ask her anyways. Ross had been so lonely lately, he needed a relationship. What could be more perfect than him asking out his high school crush? That is, if he could build up the courage.

"Bye Phoebe," Ross said before giving his friend a hug.

"It was nice meeting you," Rachel said to Phoebe.

"You too. Bye now," Phoebe responded before opening the apartment door and leaving. When the door swung shut behind her Ross turned to Rachel.

"I'm sorry. When you called she was visiting-" Ross began, before Rachel interrupted.

"No really, it's fine! I mean I just kind of sprung this on you," Rachel said enthusiastically.

"Do you want to sit down and we can talk?" Ross asked, gesturing to the couch.

"Yes thank you," Rachel responded. The two made their way to the leather couch and took a seat a few feet apart.

"So you left your husband?" Ross decided to get right into it. Rachel nodded.

"He cheated on me," Rachel explained, she looked down at her hands, which were folded in her lap. Tears threatened to fall as looked away from Ross.

"Hey, hey don't be upset. He is obviously a jerk, he doesn't deserve your tears," Ross said softly, he reached across the distance between them and gently put a hand on top of hers.

Rachel peered up at Ross and smiled slightly. His sincere words warmed her heart. He removed his hand from hers and shyly smiled at her.

"I didn't leave him only because of that. I also just didn't love him. He worked all the time leaving me at home and I couldn't live like that anymore," Rachel explained. Ross listened intently, watching her face as she spoke.

"That's really brave," Ross responded. Rachel looked up at him with glassy eyes. His soft brown eyes held her focus. As they sat there a shiver trembled down Rachel's body, partly due to Ross' thoughtful words, but mostly because she was cold and soaking wet from head to toe.

Ross noticed the tremor shake Rachel's small frame.

"Do you want to change into something dry?" Ross asked.

"I would but I kind of didn't bring anything with me," Rachel replied, kicking herself for forgetting to grab a change of clothes before she left. But another shiver rippled through her body.

"I'm sure I can find you something to wear. Come with me," Ross stated, confidently. He got up from the couch and Rachel followed him like a lost puppy. They walked past the kitchen and bathroom door into another doorway leading to a small hall outside the bedrooms.

Rachel trailed a couple of steps behind Ross as they entered his bedroom. The walls were a warm gold colour adding to the comforting vibe the room gave off. Ross walked over to his dresser and searched through a few drawers. Then he finally found what he was looking for.

Ross held out a white t-shirt to Rachel.

"Um, this shirt is too small for me so I'm sure it will fit you nicely," Ross explained.

"Thank you," Rachel replied with honesty. She took the t-shirt from Ross. "Where can I change?"

"You can use the bathroom," Ross said pointing out the door in the direction of the bathroom.

"Okay, thanks," Rachel responded, before she turned and headed for the door. Ross went back into the living room and sat on his couch again, trying to occupy his mind with anything but Rachel.

Soon Rachel emerged from the bathroom. Ross' shirt that said "Frankie Says Relax" hung loosely down to her mid-thigh. Ross swallowed hard. Never could he have imagined that Rachel would be in his apartment, wearing his shirt. She looked absolutely incredible with her wet hair and shy smile, as she sat next to him on the couch once again.

"Thanks for letting me stay here," Rachel said, breaking the silence.

"It's no problem Rachel. You can stay as long as you need to. I know how it feels to be in your position, and knowing that you don't have anyone to turn to like I did… It has to be hard," Ross said, timidly.

"It's a lot less hard now that I'm here with you," Rachel answered. She looked into his eyes; something about them just drew her in like a moth to a flame. As she stared at him she subconsciously leaned in a bit.

Rachel was only a foot away from Ross' face. She bit her lip as she lost herself in the moment. Ross too gazed at her eyes, noticing her leaning closer to him. He knew the look in her eyes; she was going to kiss him.

For a second, he considered closing the gap between them to fulfill his teenaged self's fantasy. How he had longed to kiss her for so long. He could only imagine what it would be like to have her soft, pink lips against his own.

But the logical side of him won over. He knew Rachel was probably just upset about her divorce and seeking comfort.

"We should, um, get to sleep. It's getting late," Ross commented. Rachel nodded as she backed up. She was amazed at how much of a gentleman Ross was as she realized he didn't take advantage of her moment of weakness.

"Where should I…?" Rachel asked wondering where she would be sleeping.

"Why don't you take my bed? I'll sleep here on the couch," Ross responded, knowing exactly what she was going to ask.

"Are you sure? Because I would happily take the couch. I mean, you took me in…" Rachel replied.

"You've had a long day. Please, take the bed. I insist," Ross stated. Rachel opened her mouth to speak but closed it again as she lost her nerve. She was too tired to argue.

"Thank you," Rachel answered, sincerely. She hesitated a moment before she stood up. "Goodnight, Ross."

"Goodnight," Ross replied, softly. Rachel headed to Ross' bedroom and climbed under his red comforter. She exhaled a drained sigh as her head rested on the soft pillow.

Rachel lay awake for a while, thinking about her day. She finally felt free of the chains that held her prisoner in a world she detested. Even though she still had a long road ahead, she was glad she had done what she did before she lost her mind.

She inhaled deeply smelling Ross' scent all around her. It comforted her and soon she dozed off into a deep sleep. Finally her future looked brighter.

…..

Rachel woke the next morning to the unfamiliar room and quickly remembered where she was. She was so happy that the whole thing wasn't a dream. She sat up in Ross' bed and looked around. She smiled when she saw a few dinosaur knick-knacks; she recalled how much Ross had always liked dinosaurs.

Rachel noticed a folded piece of paper on the bedside table. It had her name written across it. She picked it up and unfolded it.

_Rachel,_

_I didn't want to wake you, but I had to go to work. I have a few lectures to give, so I'll be home around 3:00pm. _

_Please help yourself to anything you want for breakfast and lunch._

_-Ross_

Rachel smiled to herself and placed the note back on the table. She decided to have breakfast and then go back to her apartment to grab her belongings.

…..

On his lunch break, Ross logged onto his email. He was disappointed to see that there was still no new email from his friend. Ross was concerned about her so he decided to email her again.

_Hi,_

_I hope everything's okay. I'm just worried that you haven't contacted me yet, usually you reply within hours._

_Please let me know what's going on. We can talk about your decision to leave your husband. Plus I have a new roommate that I want to tell you about. She's that girl I met recently that I liked back in high school. Anyways, email me back._

…..

Rachel sat in a taxi and watched as the city flew by her window. She had changed into the clothes she wore the previous night, which were now dry. She couldn't help but feel nervous when the taxi pulled to the curb in front of the old apartment she had once shared with Barry.

Rachel tensely climbed the all too familiar stairs and arrived outside of the apartment. She knocked on the door hoping someone was inside to let her in.

Soon the door opened and Barry stood there looking at her in shock.

"Have you changed your mind?" Barry asked hopefully.

"No, I've come for my things," Rachel replied. Then she walked past Barry and headed straight for her closet. She began to pack a few bags with articles of clothing and a few personal belongings. Barry stood in the doorway of their bedroom and watched.

Barry held a little hope that he could change her mind about the divorce. He had been in hell for the past day. Rachel's father was absolutely fuming when he entered the cabin without Rachel. When he explained that she left because she didn't like her life, Leonard became even more infuriated.

Of course Barry was smarter than to mention his cheating with Amy and Mindy. He even acted completely normal when Amy's husband returned from his evening ski trip.

After a while Rachel had everything she needed. It was tough to see her entire life with Barry packed into a few suitcases. But, the sooner she could leave, the better. Rachel couldn't take another minute of Barry's sad eyes watching her every move, willing her to stay.

Rachel carried all of her bags towards the door. Barry followed her closely. Rachel had to put a few bags down to open the door. When one of her shoulders was bare Barry grabbed her arm, his vice-like grip made her turn back around.

He pulled her against him so fast she barely had time to register what was happening. Barry locked her in a tight grip as he assaulted her lips with his. Barry's lips pressed against hers longing for her to kiss him in return, but Rachel's lips did not move.

After a few seconds Rachel was able to get him off of her. She looked at him with disbelief. Did he really think a kiss like that could solve their problems and make her stay? Rachel shook her head disgusted with the feeling of Barry's crushing mouth on hers.

"What the hell was that Barry?" Rachel shouted as she backed away from him.

"Please Rachel, don't go," Barry pleaded, looking at her with a pained expression on his face.

"I have to," Rachel responded, more calm.

"Please don't. I'm sorry for cheating," Barry said, practically begging for forgiveness. He wanted her to stay, he couldn't imagine the feeling of being alone and facing the repercussions.

"Barry an apology is not enough. I'm not leaving you because you cheated, I told you, I can't live this way anymore. This is not me," Rachel explained.

"What about the life we had planned. We were going to stay married forever, what happened to that promise?" Barry asked.

"Barry, when I promised you those things, I didn't know what I was promising to do. I thought this life would be different, but I'll never be able to explain how it feels to have the only purpose of keeping up an image," Rachel disclosed.

"Please just stay, we can work things out. Just think of all the people we'll disappoint if you leave," Barry explained.

"Why should we go on living this lie for them?" Rachel responded.

"Because it will cause chaos if we don't," Barry said. "Think of how this will ruin my life when you escape it."

"You don't care that I'm miserable? You just care that the name you live up to will be dragged through the mud," Rachel accused, angered by Barry's self-centredness.

"But face it Rach, you're letting down your family and mine. Please just consider that for a minute," Barry reasoned. Rachel did take a second to understand what Barry was saying. But when she thought of spending another day home alone, or faking enthusiasm at a party, she stuck to her decision.

"I can't do this for them. I have to think of myself for once. All my life I've been living with the fear of endangering my family's image. I just can't take another day of it," Rachel explained.

"You can't leave. What am I going to do? Did you ever think of what this will do to me?" Barry asked again, bitterly. Rachel was shocked to hear his egotistical thoughts on the matter at hand.

"I can't believe you would say something like that," Rachel said, angrily. "Can't you think of anyone other than yourself for once? Can't you see how unhappy I am?"

"Why can't you consider my point of view? When you leave, I'm going to be the one dealing with the massacre," Barry stated.

"I'm sure if you tell them what happened they'll understand," Rachel pointed out.

"Rachel I'm sorry about cheating and I'm sorry you don't love this lifestyle but can you please try once more," Barry pleaded again. Rachel shook her head.

"It's not only this life, or that you cheated on me with two other women. Barry, face it, we have nothing in common. Part of the reason I can't stand this marriage is that we don't love each other. Our parents practically pushed us into this marriage for their own benefit, and we just went along with it," Rachel explained.

"Why didn't you ever say something? We could have fixed this. I mean, I was dealing with it just fine," Barry stated.

"That's because you were cheating on me with Mindy and my sister," Rachel clarified. "Plus I didn't want to fix it; I only want to leave this for something better."

Barry looked at the ground, he knew she was right. He didn't deal with it because he thought cheating would help get him through it.

"So I guess this is it," Barry said, breaking the tension-filled air.

"I'm going to go," Rachel said, softly. "Before I do, I'd like to return these." Rachel slid the wedding band and engagement ring off of her left ring finger. Barry looked at her with a hurt expression, as he held out his hand.

Rachel placed the rings in his palm.

"Thanks for giving these back," Barry said sincerely.

"I'll talk to you soon about the arrangements for our divorce," Rachel said, Barry nodded. Then she picked up her bags, once again, and left the apartment. Barry couldn't help but feel upset, but he also felt happy. At least Rachel would be able to live the life she wanted.

When she exited the building, she inhaled a deep breath of air. These steps were steps into a whole new life.

She was free at last.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: I hope people are still enjoying this. Please review. :)**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

* * *

><p>Ross twisted his doorknob with a flick of his wrist as he arrived home to his apartment. As he entered his living room he noticed Rachel sitting on the couch, leaning over his coffee table. She was writing on something, her cinnamon hair falling over her face, hiding it from view. She kept her elbows rested on the table but raised her head to look up from her paper at Ross.<p>

At the sight of him in the entranceway, Rachel sat up straighter and tucked her hair behind her ears giving Ross a shy smile. Ross admired the way the outer corners of her eyes crinkled with her smile. Ross returned the smile, happy to see her. He finally withdrew his gaze from Rachel long enough to notice the bags scattered around her.

"What's all this?" Ross asked curiously as her gestured to the bags. He then placed his briefcase on the floor beside his side table and placed his keys in a bowl on the coffee table.

"Sorry about the mess. I stopped by my old apartment and picked up a couple of things," Rachel explained, hesitantly glancing at him.

"Don't worry about it. What are you up to now?" Ross asked as he stepped over a bag and sat on the couch beside Rachel. He loosened his tie slightly as he relaxed, waiting for her reply.

"Um, these are my divorce papers. I stopped by my lawyer's office and picked them up. I'm going to fill them out and then just get my ex-husband to sign them," Rachel explained.

"I know how hard it is to go through a divorce, trust me. So if you need anything I'm here for you," Ross said, sincerely. Rachel looked at him and smiled.

"Thanks Ross. For everything. I really appreciate it," Rachel replied, honestly in her tone.

"I'm glad I can help," Ross said. For a moment Rachel felt tears in her eyes, Ross was just so sweet. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she just stared at the calm expression on his face.

Luckily the phone began to ring at that moment. Ross rotated on the couch and picked it up, turning away from Rachel.

"Hello?" Ross answered.

"Ross, it's Carol," Carol's voice spoke from the other side of the phone.

"Oh hi, what's going on?" Ross asked, inquiringly.

"I wanted to remind you that you have Ben this weekend," Carol said. Ross furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, before recalling these plans. Rachel watched him with interest.

"I completely forgot. Listen, I have company and she really needs my undivided attention right now. I thought it was your weekend," Ross responded. Feeling uncomfortable under Rachel's watch he stood up and paced to his living room window.

"No. Remember, Susan and I have to visit her parents. We're, um, telling them about us," Carol said carefully. Ross felt a pang of discomfort ripple through his body. Anything to do with his ex-wife and her girlfriend still hurt for him to hear about.

"I'm sorry. That completely slipped my mind. But, we did discuss that," Ross apologised, unable to hide his sadness. "When will you drop him by?"

"I'll bring him tomorrow at 10:00," Carol replied, sombrely.

"Okay, I'll, uh, see you then," Ross responded. As much as he loved his son he had hoped he could have this weekend alone with Rachel. She needed him right now, with what she was going through.

Ross and Carol exchanged goodbyes and then Ross walked over to his side table to hang up the phone. As soon as Rachel heard the click of the handset hitting the base, she broke the silence.

"Is everything okay?" Rachel asked softly. Ross glanced down at her, as she still remained seated on the couch.

"Um, well, my son has to come and spend the weekend. I'm really sorry," Ross apologised.

"Ross that's fine. Don't worry about it," Rachel said, dismissing him with a hand wave.

"It's just that I usually take Ben to visit Monica. I'm sure you're welcome to join us if you'd like," Ross suggested, kindly. Rachel just took her focus off of his face, she looked at the floor.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea," Rachel mumbled. Ross stepped around the arm of the couch and sat down beside her once again.

"What do you mean?" Ross asked as he stared at her with a perplexed expression.

"I haven't seen her in years. We promised to stay in touch, but that didn't happen," Rachel explained, still looking at the ground as the guilt caught up with her. She looked up into Ross' concerned gaze.

"Rach, I'm sure she'll be fine. I bet she'll just be happy to see you again," Ross stated.

"Okay, I guess you know her better than I do. I'll come," Rachel decided.

"That's great," Ross exclaimed.

Rachel still hadn't convinced herself that this was a good idea. It was the reason why she didn't call Monica after Ross had given her her number. She was scared that Monica would be bitter about the way they left things.

Rachel had met Barry in college. As soon as she started dating him, her parents discovered that Barry's parents were in the same country club.

Rachel began spending more and more time with Barry, going to functions their parents attended and making friends within the club. All came at a cost as she had less time for Monica. Eventually they just drifted apart and soon enough they lost touch.

It was as if their years of friendship were forgotten when Rachel started dating Barry. She didn't know how Monica would react to seeing her again.

Rachel decided to stop thinking about that by changing the topic of their conversation.

"So, it must be hard to take care of Ben all by yourself," Rachel spoke, breaking the silence that filled the apartment.

"Actually, the toughest part is not getting to see him every day. It's hard having to drop him off and pick him up," Ross explained.

"I can't even imagine how it feels. I guess I'm lucky my divorce doesn't involve kids," Rachel pointed out.

"I just love having him around though. The time I get to spend with him is always so much fun," Ross said, smiling to himself. Rachel couldn't get a burning question off her mind, she decided to just come out and say it.

"Ross, can I ask you something personal?" Rachel started, watching as he snapped out of his thoughts and became serious.

"Sure, Rach," Ross approved.

"I told you why I'm divorcing my husband. But, why did you divorce your wife?" Rachel asked, hesitantly. Ross hated explaining this story. But he decided that Rachel had shared her personal life, so he should repay the favour. He cleared his throat before he began.

"I got divorced because, my wife turned out to be a lesbian. She cheated on me with another woman and eventually we decided things would have to end between us," Ross explained uncomfortably.

"Wow. I'm so sorry. That has to be tough," Rachel responded, trying to keep the shock in her voice to a minimum.

"It is. It's hard to accept the fact that you married someone thinking it would last forever, only to find out that you pushed them into liking women," Ross said, depressed.

"Ross, I'm sure it's not your fault. If anything it's her fault for not realizing what her sexual preference was before marriage," Rachel reasoned.

"Thanks," Ross simply replied.

A memory was brought to Rachel's attention when she heard Ross' story. She remembered that her friend, she had been emailing over the past few months, had also gotten divorced because his wife was a lesbian. Rachel didn't realize that that was a common problem in marriages.

"Are you sure you want Ben to stay here with us? I mean, he cries at odd hours of the night," Ross said out of the blue. He and Rachel had been sitting there silently for quite a while.

"Ross, really, I don't mind. I mean you're letting me stay with you, I can put up with being woken up by your son," Rachel responded, before yawning. "Speaking of sleep, maybe we should go to bed."

"You're right. I'll take the couch again," Ross responded.

"Ross, I feel bad. I can't let you keep taking the couch," Rachel declared.

"I know this is going to sound really sudden but, I was thinking, what if you moved in with me? I have a spare bedroom that Ben sleeps in on the weekends. But he could sleep in my room and I can furnish that one for you if you'd like to stay here," Ross explained. Rachel's face shone with joy.

"Ross, I would really like that," Rachel stated as her eyes twinkled in the dim light.

"Alright then. In the mean time I'll sleep out here and you can stay in my bed," Ross declared. Rachel began to object, but Ross stopped her when he said, "You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow, you need a good night's sleep. Please, I insist."

Rachel gave in, knowing he was right.

"Fine. Goodnight," Rachel said.

"Goodnight," Ross replied. Rachel got up and departed to the bedroom. Even with all of her clothing she had brought to Ross' she chose to wear his t-shirt to sleep in.

Rachel had merely settled under the blankets when Ross opened the bedroom door a crack and peaked inside. Rachel sat up and looked at him.

"Sorry, I needed a pillow," Ross explained remorsefully.

"Come in," Rachel responded. Ross crept in; he wore only his boxer shorts and a tank top. Rachel reached beside her and grabbed a pillow to hand to him.

"Thank you. Sweet dreams," Ross said, and then with pillow in hand, he turned around and headed for the door. But suddenly a question crossed Rachel's mind.

"Ross?" Rachel called, barely louder than a whisper. Ross had just reached the doorway but he spun around to face Rachel.

"Yes?" Ross answered.

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you," Rachel stated seriously.

"Okay," Ross answered. He crossed the room and sat next to Rachel on top of the covers. He put the pillow behind his head against the headboard and looked over at her.

"Why are you letting me stay with you?" Rachel asked.

"You have nowhere else to go. I would never leave you without a place to stay," Ross responded.

"But, you barely know me. Why did you let me come over when I gave you that hysterical phone call?" Rachel asked. Ross didn't hesitate for a minute, he spoke the truth.

"I know how hard it is to be alone after a divorce. Luckily I had friends and family to turn to. But you were leaving a life behind, you had no one. I felt like I needed to be there for you," Ross explained, he paused before adding, "And to tell you the truth I was lonely."

"Well Ross, thank you for being there for me. You've been so kind. You've made this a whole lot easier than it was going to be," Rachel said.

"You're welcome," Ross responded, caringly. He locked eyes with Rachel. He remembered back to when their eyes met back in the elevator. She had looked so miserable that day, her eyes seemed empty as if all the life had been drained from them. But now her eyes matched the blue skies after a storm.

Ross couldn't help but feel drawn to her. Ross desperately wanted to kiss her, but he knew it was still a bad idea. They were roommates now, doing anything like that would only complicate things. Not to mention it wouldn't be right to take advantage of her at such a vulnerable time.

Ross decided it was time to leave before his heart took over his body, making him forget all logic.

"Goodnight Rachel. I'm really happy you've saved me from my loneliness and frankly my grief. You're such a great person, I knew that back when you were Monica's friend. You don't deserve all you've been through," Ross said, an embarrassed smile curved his lips.

With that, Rachel hastily closed the space between them, placing an impassioned kiss on Ross' lips. Ross froze before he closed his eyes. The feeling of her soft lips on his was indescribable. She moved a hand to caress his cheek, as Ross placed a hand on her arm, which she leaned on the bed with.

Ross immediately realized he was making a bad decision, but Rachel's lips moving with his own quickly made all other thoughts slip away. The way she gently began sucking on his lip as she threw both her hands around the back of his neck drove him insane.

Not until he felt her tongue brush against his lip did he snap out of it. What in the world was he doing? He didn't want to cross this line with her. No matter how good it made him feel, it wasn't right.

Ross pulled away keeping their faces only inches apart. Rachel realized what he was doing. She knew what they had done was wrong, but she couldn't help herself.

They just looked deep into each other's eyes, letting the heat of the moment wear off. Rachel slid her hands off of him, and sat up straighter. Ross looked at her apologetically.

"Goodnight, Ross," Rachel whispered.

"I'll see you in the morning," Ross answered. Then he quickly grabbed his pillow and left the bedroom. Rachel sat there and touched a hand to her lips.

Ross lay on the couch, wide awake. His high school dream had come true, he had kissed Rachel Green. But even with that in mind, nothing could happen between them now that they were roommates. Even when he wanted it so bad.

…..

Ross pushed the stroller and Rachel walked beside him. I was a wonderfully sunny day. The streets were full of people all enjoying the beautiful Saturday morning.

Carol had dropped Ben off at Ross' apartment that morning and they were now on their way to Monica's.

As they approached Central Park, Ross had an idea.

"Before we head over to Monica's do you want to take Ben to the park for a bit?" Ross asked. Rachel gave Ross a nervous glance, but nodded.

"Sure. We still have time," Rachel said. She tried to sound cheerful but she was a little nervous to be around Ben, since she had no experience with babies.

They entered Central Park. It seemed like it was all families that filled the grassy fields and forest paths. They stopped in a patch of shade under a tree. Ross laid down a blanket for the three of them to sit on, before letting Ben out of his seat. As soon as Ben's feet were on the ground he began running around nearby.

Ross and Rachel sat beside each other on the blanket. Both of them leaned back on their hands with their feet in front of them. They watched as Ben chased grasshoppers and played in the grass. Every so often they would steal a glance at each other.

After a while of running around, Ben ran back to his father. He jumped into Ross' arms, laughing a sweet little laugh as Ross tickled him. Rachel observed them, smiling at their cute father and son moment.

When Ross stopped Ben was out of breath, but he had a huge smile on his face. Ben climbed off of his father's lap and sat on the blanket, watching the trees blow in the gentle wind making the shadows dance across the grass.

Rachel watched as Ben's eyelids became heavy with exhaustion. Ben looked up at her and raised his little arms towards Rachel.

"Up?" Ben asked. Rachel gave Ross a panicked look.

"He just wants you to sit him on your lap," Ross said. "Don't be afraid. You can do it," Ross whispered encouragingly, realizing Rachel must not have experience with kids.

Rachel lifted Ben onto her lap. Ben curled up comfortably in her arms. Rachel slowly began to rock him, gently leaning her cheek against his blond hair.

Ben dozed off in her arms.

Ross and Rachel locked eyes and they both smiled a meaningful smile. It was a beautiful moment; Rachel was proud to begin overcoming her fear.

As she listened to Ben's slow, relaxed breaths something stirred inside her. She never thought of herself as having any maternal feelings, but holding Ben made her realize she did want to be a mother, just not to Barry's kids.

Suddenly from out of nowhere an older woman passed by.

"You two have a beautiful son. What a lovely family," The lady commented stopping for a moment. Before Ross and Rachel could object the lady was already walking away.

The two smiled to themselves. They really looked like a family to those on the outside.

"We should get going," Ross whispered to Rachel as he glanced at his watch. Rachel nodded.

…..

As Rachel helped Ross carry the stroller up the unfamiliar staircase, her nerves began to hit her. She realized that in minutes she would be seeing Monica again, as well as meeting the rest of Ross' friends.

Ross gave the door to apartment 20 a quick knock and soon it swung open.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Thanks for the reviews. I managed to update a day sooner than usual, so enjoy. :)**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

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><p>Monica opened the door and saw Ross was not alone. The woman standing next to him looked strangely familiar. She just couldn't put her finger on where she knew her from.<p>

"Hi Ross, Ben…" Monica said trailing off, unsure how to respond to this stranger.

"Hey Mon. This is Rachel Farber. Don't you remember her?" Ross introduced Rachel, who stood next to him uncomfortably. It finally clicked in Monica's mind. How could she forget Rachel?

"Actually, I'm Rachel Green again. It's great to see you after so long," Rachel greeted. She held out her hand for Monica to shake.

"Rachel! Oh my god, it's been forever!" Monica exclaimed stepping through the doorway and giving her a hug. Rachel sighed with relief knowing Monica was happy to see her instead of angry they drifted apart.

"I'm sorry I didn't contact you sooner," Rachel apologised.

"Don't worry about it. Wow, I didn't recognise you at first. You look so great!" Monica disclosed.

"You look great too," Rachel replied. Ross just stood there with Ben in the stroller, happily observing the friends reconnect.

"Come on in you guys," Monica said, noticing they were still standing in the hall. Monica then led them inside. Ross gave Rachel a reassuring smile before they followed.

Rachel immediately noticed the company of two men and a woman sitting in Monica's living room watching the television. They all turned their heads to look at who was arriving. They were shocked to notice Ross had brought a woman with him.

"Hey guys," Ross greeted his three friends. "This is Rachel Green, she's my new roommate. Rachel this is Chandler…" Ross gestured to Chandler.

"Nice to meet you," Chandler greeted with a friendly smile.

"That's Joey…" Ross introduced, pointing at Joey.

"Hey, how you do-" Joey began as he looked Rachel up and down, flashing her a charming smile. But he was soon interrupted.

"Don't even think about it Joe!" Monica shouted from the kitchen. Joey frowned in disappointment. Rachel didn't understand what all of that was about, but soon Ross directed her attention to a familiar face. "You remember Phoebe," Ross said, motioning to Phoebe.

"I do! It's very nice to meet all of you," Rachel said.

Soon Ross let Ben had woken up and Ross let him out of his stroller to see the others. Monica invited Rachel to sit at the kitchen table with her. Rachel accepted her offer and they began to catch up on the time they had spent apart. Rachel filled Monica in about Barry and her terrible time being his wife, while Monica listened.

Monica fully began to understand why they lost touch. She was a little angry with Rachel when Ross told her he gave Rachel her phone number, and she didn't ever call. But listening to the story Rachel told and seeing the look in her eyes made her rethink things.

Monica couldn't stay mad at Rachel. She was happy to have her best friend come back and that outweighed any anger she felt.

Eventually Phoebe joined their conversation. The three women got along well. At a few points in the conversation Rachel would lose herself thinking how wonderful these people were. They completely accepted her and welcomed her. These were the friends she'd been looking for.

Then Monica began cooking for the six of them, and Ben of course, leaving Phoebe and Rachel to get to know each other. The two of them really hit it off, and before they knew time flew by and dinner was served.

"Ross you sit there, Joey there and Chandler there," Monica directed, as she pointed to the seats for the guys to sit in. Chandler just snickered at Monica's take-charge attitude. Joey sat where he was told and impatiently waited for his food.

Monica put bowls and plates of food on the table as Ross helped Ben into his booster chair. Rachel sat there smiling she had a feeling she would have many good times with these people.

…..

After a conversation filled dinner, Ross and Rachel had to take Ben home for bed. As the two left, Monica and Rachel agreed to have lunch together sometime soon.

By the time they reached the door of their apartment Ben was fast asleep in his stroller. He was very tired from his busy day. Ross lifted his sleeping son from his stroller and carried him to his crib, which was set up in the spare bedroom.

When Ross returned from tucking Ben in for the night he walked back into the living room. Rachel was picking up a few of her bags to clean up Ross' living room.

"Do you want some help?" Ross asked. Rachel's head snapped up to look at him, his voice had come out of nowhere.

"Oh, um, that'd be great," Rachel replied. The two of them moved Rachel's bags off to the side of the room, under Ross' window. Rachel figured she would unpack when they got her bedroom set up.

When they were finished they both flopped on the couch in exhaustion.

"I was thinking I should get a job," Rachel said, out of the blue.

"That's great Rach. What do you think you want to do?" Ross asked.

"I've always wanted to work in fashion," Rachel admitted. "I just don't know where to begin."

"Well, the paper is always a good place. If not you can search for an opening on the internet. And if all else fails you can always go drop off your resume places and see if they're hiring," Ross explained.

"Thanks Ross," Rachel said.

"Don't mention it," Ross responded. Then a question crossed her mind from when he mentioned the internet.

"Ross, could I check my email on your computer?" Rachel asked. She had noticed the computer in Ross' bedroom the previous night. Talking to Monica about her past had reminded her of her friend, which of whom she needed to respond to.

"Yeah go ahead," Ross responded. "I'm going to sleep now, so goodnight," Ross added.

"Okay. Thank you. I'll see you in the morning," Rachel said.

Rachel got up and quietly walked to Ross' bedroom. She tried not to wake Ben as she passed his bedroom door. She sat down at Ross' desk and turned on the computer. After waiting for it to turn on she opened her email. As she suspected there was a message from her friend.

_Hi,_

_I hope everything's okay. I'm just worried that you haven't contacted me yet, usually you reply within hours._

_Please let me know what's going on. We can talk about your decision to leave your husband. Plus I have a new roommate that I want to tell you about. She's that girl I met that I liked back in high school. Anyways, email me back._

Rachel found it odd that her friend is divorced from a lesbian, and now has a new roommate just like Ross. Rachel found it strange that she was talking to these two people who were going through the same events. It was a big coincidence.

Rachel answered her friend back.

_I'm really sorry I didn't email you sooner!_

_I've been busy figuring out this divorce with Barry. My father is really mad at my decision to leave him but I don't care about what he thinks. I'm so much happier already and it's only been a couple of days since I left Barry._

_Don't worry about me I'm doing fine. I found a high school friend and he has let me live with him. Looks like we both have new roommates. So, what's this girl like that you're living with?_

Rachel logged off after sending the email. She stood up from the chair, deciding she needed to talk to Ross. This coincidence between her friend and Ross was really bothering her. But then she stopped to think, how would she do this?

Should she come right out and say it? Should she just try and get more information from Ross and see if the two had more things in common?

Rachel changed into her pyjamas. Then she tread softly in the direction of Ross' living room.

She was in the hallway between the two bedrooms when she heard a soft voice.

"Mommy?" Ben's sweet little voice called when he noticed Rachel in the hall. Ben began to whimper.

Rachel didn't know what to do but she walked into his room. It was dark, the only light came from the streetlights that shone through the curtained window. Ben stood in his crib, watching her come closer. As soon as Rachel was within a few feet of his crib he held out his hands to her.

Rachel hesitantly lifted Ben over the side of his crib and held him in her arms. Ben snuggled against her shoulder as he hugged her neck with his small arms. Rachel rocked him gently trying to get him to fall back asleep.

She tried to stay confident as she rocked Ben, unsure of herself around babies. But, Ben began to go limp in her arms and his breathing became slower as he nodded off.

Ross had heard Ben crying on the baby monitor he had in the living room. He got up from the couch and headed towards the bedrooms. The sight he saw when he walked into the hallway and looked through the door amazed him.

Rachel stood, with her back to him, in the middle of the room slowly swaying side to side with Ben in her arms. Ross just stood in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe, and watched the sweet moment unfold.

Rachel inhaled quickly when she slowly turned in a circle and saw Ross standing behind her. She wondered how long he'd been observing her. Rachel gave him a nervous look when Ben completely fell asleep in her arms. She didn't exactly know how to put him back in his crib.

Ross held his hands out; Rachel knew he was asking if she wanted him to take Ben. Rachel nodded and Ross stepped towards her.

Rachel carefully handed Ben to Ross. Ben stirred a little but he didn't wake up. Ross kissed him on the top of his head and then walked to the side of the crib. He gently placed him in his bed and covered him with his blanket. Rachel smiled as she watched Ross lean over the side of the crib and kiss Ben's forehead.

As soon as he stood up straight, Ross motioned for Rachel to follow him. The two exited Ben's room into the hallway. Ross turned to her with a smile across his face.

"Thank you for doing that. He must miss his mom. Carol is the one that looks after him most," Ross explained in a whisper.

"It wasn't a problem," Rachel whispered.

"We should get to bed," Ross suggested.

"Okay. Goodnight Ross," Rachel replied, as she lost the nerve to talk to him.

"See you tomorrow," Ross responded. Rachel crept back to her bedroom. She immediately climbed under the blankets.

There was a thought she just couldn't stop from repeating. Ross had mentioned that his ex-wife was named Carol. Rachel remembered back to the first text message she had received from her friend.

_I don't know what's going on. Carol_ _has been spending a lot of time at the gym and she's really distant at home. I just don't understand._

Carol

Rachel's heart began to pound against her ribs as her breathing sped up. Was it possible that Ross could be the friend she was emailing?

Rachel tried to get her facts straight. They were both divorced from a lesbian. Both their ex-wife's names were Carol, and now both Ross and her friend had new roommates. Not just any roommates, both of them had roommates they used to know back in high school.

Rachel was almost certain Ross was her mystery friend. Everything added up, it would be too much of a coincidence if they weren't the same person.

Immediately Rachel decided to go talk to Ross. She knew she needed to confront him right away about this. Rachel quickly tiptoed into the living room. The room was lit only by the glow of the moonlight. Everything was so calm and quiet. The only sounds came from her bare feet on the hardwood floor and Ross' steady breathing.

Rachel crept around the couch and stood opposite Ross on the other side of the coffee table. She gazed at him as he lay on his back sprawled over the couch. One of his feet was on the floor, while the other rested on the arm of the couch. He had an arm behind his head . Rachel felt bad for making him sleep on the couch.

The moonlight hit his face and Rachel could see the calm expression he wore. His lips were slightly parted and his hair was dishevelled. He looked so peaceful.

Rachel decided to leave him be, he looked too comfortable. Plus she had no idea how to even begin to tell him what she had discovered.

She returned to her room and just lay down with her hands behind her head. She couldn't help but think about how much she enjoyed being here.

Rachel had never expected to like spending time with a baby like Ben as much as she did. She was having a great time getting to know him. The truth was she really loved Ben; he was such a sweet little boy.

Her thoughts made her proud of herself. Never could she have imagined liking the feeling of being a mother figure. She supposed she had never admitted to herself she wanted kids because of the life they would be raised in. But Ben had definitely made her rethink things.

Rachel glanced at the table beside her and noticed a picture of Ben and Ross. Ross held Ben in his arms; he was so small and wrapped in a blanket. The look on Ross' face was so touching as he gazed down at his son with love clearly written in his eyes.

Rachel realized that she really did like Ross. He was so kind and so considerate of her, especially when he had stopped their kiss in order to protect her. He respected all those around him. She loved that even though he was sad about his divorce he made good light of it by helping her through her own divorce. He was a caring father, brother and friend.

Rachel's mind jumped to a part of her friend's email.

_Plus I have a new roommate that I want to tell you about. She's that girl I met that I liked back in high school._

If the guy she was talking to was Ross that meant that Ross liked her back in high school. If he liked her back then could that mean he still liked her now?

The prospect of that fact being true made Rachel very elated. She realized that she didn't just like Ross she was falling for him; she was in love with him.

The way he looked at her made her melt. The way he took her in and helped her get back on her feet made her like him even more. Rachel's heart was pounding again, this time with the anticipation building inside of her.

Rachel decided that she would confront Ross about the emails, and even if it wasn't him emailing her she would still tell him how she felt. Either way Ross was still a great guy, but she was almost certain it was him emailing her. How could it not be?

For once in her life Rachel fell asleep content. Finally she was making her own decisions and living the life she wanted to live. It was just a matter of confronting the man who could possibly be the one true love she'd been missing.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: Thank you very much for the reviews, I'm glad you are enjoying reading this.**

**Unfortunately there will only be two more chapters after this one. **

**But, without further ado, here is the next installment. Review please. :)**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

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><p>"Rach?... Rachel?" Ross whispered, gently shaking Rachel's shoulder.<p>

Rachel let out a soft groan in protest, annoyed that she was being awakened so early. She slowly opened her sleepy eyes to the bright sunlight. Rachel had to squint to see, but she could clearly tell it was Ross standing at her bedside. He was dressed in a suit and tie with a leather briefcase in his hand.

"What is it Ross?" Rachel mumbled groggily. She propped her head up on her elbow to look at him.

"I'm sorry to wake you, but I was called to a meeting. Do you think you could watch Ben for an hour or two? I would get Monica to do it but she has to work and Phoebe has a massage client, and I can't trust the guys with him after they lost him last time. Anyways, you were so great with him yesterday and last night," Ross explained quickly, with a panicked tone to his voice.

"Ross, calm down. I'll do it," Rachel agreed. At first she felt a little reluctant, but she felt better about her decision when she saw the gratitude and relief in Ross' eyes.

"Thank you so much. I promise I'll be back as soon as I can," Ross stated.

"Okay I'll see you later," Rachel replied.

"Bye," Ross said before leaving the room in a hurry.

Rachel got up out of Ross' bed and travelled to Ben's room.

Upon entering the room, she walked quietly in order to peak over the side of the crib. Ben was still sound asleep, breathing slow breaths as soft as a whisper. She smiled as she watched him; there was something so calming about the look on his face as he slept. He was so peaceful, so innocent.

Rachel exited and noticed Ben's bag on his stroller. She decided she would take him to the park when he woke up.

…..

Rachel had gotten dressed and finished a bowl of cereal before Ben's cries broke the quiet atmosphere. She strode hurriedly into his room.

Ben stopped crying the moment she arrived. He stood, holding onto the side of his crib, looking at her strangely. Tears filled his eyes and his bottom lip quivered. Rachel hesitantly walked closer.

"It's okay Ben. Don't cry honey," Rachel said soothingly. Ben gazed up at her, his blue eyes filled with curiosity. Then he reached out to her with his little hands.

"Mommy?" Ben whispered, uncertainly. Rachel picked Ben up nervously, unsure how to hold him. She tried to copy how Ross held him by sitting him on her hip.

"I'm not Mommy. I'm Rachel," Rachel told Ben. A small smile spread across Ben's pink lips.

"Mommy," Ben insisted, as he looked Rachel in the eyes.

His words warmed her heart, even if he didn't know what he was implying. She decided not to correct him again.

Rachel put Ben on the floor, where he ran to play with some toys. Meanwhile, Rachel went to his dresser and pulled out some clothes for him to wear. She enjoyed picking out a cute little outfit for him.

It took a while to get Ben changed, mainly because Rachel had to catch him first. But she beamed with satisfaction when she was eventually able to figure out how to dress him properly. Soon they were ready to leave.

"Do you want to go to the park Ben?" Rachel asked as she crouched down to his level.

"Yeah!" Ben exclaimed, clapping his hands with excitement. Rachel sat him in his stroller and figured out the straps after a few minutes. Then, they were on their way out the door.

…..

Rachel took Ben to a nearby playground. She was a little nervous to be taking on this much responsibility for Ben, especially since she had never looked after him alone before. She almost had second thoughts about bringing him to the park, but when she saw the smile on his face she couldn't bring herself to turning around.

There were a few children running around, climbing, and sliding down the slide. Ben squealed with joy when the jungle gym came into view.

"Out?" Ben asked, eagerly.

"Yes, let's go!" Rachel exclaimed. She parked the stroller under a nearby tree, beside the bench that sat in its shade. She unbuckled Ben and awkwardly lifted him out of the stroller to stand him on the grass. As soon as Ben's feet hit the ground he grabbed Rachel's hand and was already pulling her towards the playground.

Rachel let him lead her into the sand around the playground. Ben began to walk with her towards the swings. Rachel quickly guided him away from there, even as an adult, the swings were still a fear of hers. Ben changed direction and happily ran for the slide.

"Me slide?" Ben asked adorably.

"Okay, let me help you," Rachel said, unsure if he could climb up there himself. She helped him climb the stairs. When they reached the top she sat him on her lap and eased herself forward to slide down the slide. Ben laughed with amusement as they glided to the bottom.

Ben made Rachel slide with him a few more times. When Rachel put Ben back on the ground, after reaching the end of the slide, he stopped in the sand. He was quickly distracted and began playing.

Rachel just strolled to sit on the nearby bench to watch him. She was so proud of herself. She was doing a fine job looking after Ben, considering she had never been around kids before. Rachel wondered if she wanted kids in the future, having a great time with Ben had brought that thought to mind.

Rachel smiled to herself as she watched Ben inspect a few rocks and then dig a hole. Soon he looked over at Rachel to see where she had gone. Rachel waved at him and smiled. Before she knew it he was running over to her.

"Look!" Ben exclaimed, proudly holding out a rock for Rachel to see.

"Wow!" Rachel said, enthusiastically peeking into his tiny palm. Ben put the rock on the bench and then gazed at Rachel with a smile that showed off all his tiny teeth. Without warning he tried to climb onto her lap. Rachel lifted him up for him to sit facing her.

"I love you Mommy," Ben said sweetly. Then he leaned in and hugged her around the neck. Rachel had to blink tears out of her eyes. Even though she figured he was only calling her that because he was around women most of the time, she loved the sound of it.

"I love you too, Ben," Rachel whispered, barely loud enough for anyone other than herself to hear. She rubbed his back and closed her eyes, enjoying the moment.

Soon Ben pulled away and decided he wanted to go play again. He began to struggle to get down so Rachel put him back on the grass. He ran back to the sand.

As Rachel watched Ben play some more she pondered the notion that she had never wanted kids with Barry but she loved Ross' son. Could it be that it was just because he was Ross' son?

Rachel looked at her watch. It had been an hour already. She concluded that she should get home, since Ross said he would try and be quick. She didn't want him to get home and panic because she was missing.

"Ben let's go home to see your Daddy now," Rachel called, as she got up off the bench to catch Ben's attention.

…..

Ben fell asleep in the stroller on the short walk home. Rachel figured the fresh air and running around tired him out. She put him down for a nap when they got back.

In the meantime, Rachel went to check her email. Sure enough her friend had answered her last message.

_I'm really glad you're alright! I'm proud of you for leaving Barry; I knew you could do it! You'll be so much happier without him and without that life you were living. I'm sure your father will come around. _

_It's hard to explain what Rachel's like. She's just so incredible! On top of being beautiful she has such a big heart, she's amazing with Ben. She's been through so much by starting a new life, she has so much courage. I'm blessed to have found her after so many years._

_To tell you the truth I've been thinking of confessing that I love her. I've loved her since high school. I just don't know how, I don't want to wreck our roommate situation._

Rachel had tears of happiness cascading down her face. Her suspicions had been right. She now knew for sure that she had been talking to Ross this whole time.

She couldn't believe it, what were the chances that he would send her that text message, then they would meet in an elevator, and then she would move in with him, all the while not knowing it was each other on the other end of the emails.

Rachel was filled with a sense of euphoria as she sat there unable to move, but satisfied with staying put.

Ross was an amazing guy and to hear him say things like that filled her heart with warmth. She could now tell Ross with certainty that it was them talking to each other. They could be together. Suddenly an idea dawned on her and she began typing.

_If you want my advice I would just tell her how you feel. It's better for you and for her if you're honest._

_Take her hands in yours and tell her that you don't want to mess up your roommate situation, but you can't help it because you're in love with her. Tell her you want to know if she feels the same. If she does feel the same, kiss her._

_You're a great guy I'm sure she'll be pleased to know how you feel. I just have a feeling she'll feel the same. _

_Yours Truly._

Rachel hit send and, as if it was planned, Ben began to cry letting her know he was awake. Rachel didn't hesitate to pick him up when she walked in the room. She was much more comfortable holding him after their time together.

All of a sudden there was a knock at the door. Rachel figured it was Ross and he had forgotten his keys, so she carried Ben with her to answer the door.

Unfortunately, the man that stood before her was not Ross. In fact it was one of the people she wanted to see the least.

Her father.

"Daddy? Wha-How did you find me?" Rachel asked, still in complete shock. Leonard Green had a very angry expression on his face as he looked from Rachel to Ben.

"Long story short, I tracked you down," Leonard explained, quickly.

"I told you to leave me alone," Rachel said bitterly. Leonard completely ignored her comment.

"What are you doing with a baby?" Leonard asked, he confusedly furrowed his eyebrows at Ben.

"Calm down, I'm babysitting," Rachel replied.

"Babysitting? I thought you didn't like kids," Leonard said, confusion turning to anger.

"I didn't think I did either. But I guess I changed my mind after meeting Ben," Rachel explained smiling at Ben, who looked at her when he heard his name. "What are you here for Dad?" Rachel asked, wanting to get to the point of his visit.

"I'm here to bring you back home," Leonard said.

"I'm not going anywhere," Rachel stated. She realized her father wasn't leaving anytime soon so she put Ben down. He walked away hurriedly, unsure of who this man was, and began playing with his toys.

"Oh come on Rachel. It's time to stop this little game," Leonard spat.

"I'm not playing a game. I'm serious about this. I'm not coming back; I don't belong in that world. I belong here," Rachel explained calmly.

"Why are you doing this to me Rachel? Can't you come home with me and have kids with Barry, if looking after a kid is what you want," Leonard suggested. Rachel let out a frustrated breath.

"That's not the extent of this. I want to live a life where I'm free to do what I want, and where I work hard for my money, and where I'm cared about.

I don't want to have kids with Barry, and that's part of the problem, I never wanted to date him or marry him because he isn't right for me. I was basically forced into this life and marriage and now I'm finally making my own choices," Rachel explained.

"You can't be serious," Leonard said in disbelief.

"I am serious. I'm sending Barry the divorce papers. I've already filled them out," Rachel explained. Leonard looked like he was going to blow a fuse. His nostrils were flaring, he was breathing rapidly.

Their moment was interrupted when Ross suddenly showed up in the hallway behind Leonard. As soon as Ross arrived, Leonard turned his head to glower at him. Ross immediately knew exactly who the man at his door was. Ross swallowed hard when he noticed the death stare he was receiving from none other than Rachel's father. He hadn't changed a bit.

Ross cleared his throat nervously.

"Doctor Green. It's so nice to see you again," Ross greeted. He hesitantly held out his hand for Leonard to shake. Leonard glared at Ross' outstretched hand and then he just disbelievingly stared at Ross' face.

With that, Ross awkwardly put his arm back down by his side.

"Don't you dare come here and act like that around me. You ruined my daughter's marriage," Leonard hissed with fury. Ross shuddered, looking away from Leonard's eyes to the floor in terror. Rachel gasped at her father's vulgar words.

"Leave!" Rachel just about yelled at her father. "How could you treat my friend like that? He let me stay with him. You should be thankful for that."

When Rachel's father didn't say anything she assumed he would leave soon. So she turned and picked up Ben before angrily storming out of the room. But Leonard turned on Ross once more.

"You ruined my daughter's life," Leonard hissed, pointing a finger at Ross. Ross had had enough. So, feeling agitated, he fired back at Leonard.

"And how did I do that?" Ross asked, angrily. "All I have ever done is be there for her. As far as I'm concerned, I did nothing wrong."

"You did nothing wrong? You don't think confusing her is wrong?" Leonard responded.

"How did I confuse her?" Ross asked, confused himself.

"You put the idea in her head that she needed to leave. Now she's getting a divorce!" Leonard shouted.

"Rachel made that decision on her own. She was miserable and she felt trapped in her loveless marriage. She wasn't happy so she came and found me," Ross explained. Rachel had never actually used the term 'loveless marriage' but his email friend did and he thought it worked for Rachel as well.

"Who do you think you are? You don't have the right to say all these things," Leonard stated, venomously.

Ross didn't know how to respond. Rachel's father continued to stare at him with a look that could only be described as a predator eyeing its prey.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Thank you for the kind reviews, I really appreciate it. **

**And if you haven't already read my one-shot, **_**Full **__**Circle**_**, I would love for you to read and review it. :)**

**Don't forget to review this chapter, as we wind down to the end of this story. There will only be one more chapter after this one, sadly. **

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me**

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><p>Ross stood there paralyzed by Leonard's beyond-angry stare.<p>

Rachel's father was a scary man, and his expression frightened Ross to the very core. Leonard's glasses only enhanced the wild look in his eyes. His nostrils flared and the veins in his forehead were enlarged.

Leonard had never looked so intimidating to Ross, but then again Ross had never seen him this angry.

Meanwhile, Rachel sat on Ross' bed with Ben. She tried to hold back the tears that pooled in her eyes for Ben's sake; she didn't want him to see she was upset.

After hearing Leonard yell, Ben became quite disturbed. Rachel hadn't even noticed how affected he was until after she picked him up to bring him with her to Ross' room. She had been so caught up in the tension of their heated argument.

Rachel just held Ben close to her chest, both her arms holding him consolingly. She slowly rocked him as his little body shook with sobs. Rachel hated that Ben had to witness the whole event. But, being in Rachel's arms seemed to calm him down quite a bit.

Rachel couldn't hear any sounds coming from outside the bedroom. But, she wasn't sure if it was because she had closed the door or because her father left; she hoped it was the latter. She didn't want to face her father again, not today at least.

Ben was soothed after a while and he fell asleep in Rachel's soothing embrace. She decided to put him in his crib.

Rachel half expected to still hear her father's voice or Ross' voice when she entered the hall. But the apartment was silent. However, Rachel knew something was going on; the air was still thick with tension. Rachel was concerned, but she didn't want to check the living room and risk facing her father again, if he was still there.

After a few minutes Leonard had calmed down, to some extent, and he began looking less intense. Ross nervously and awkwardly stood in the hallway against the wall opposite his door. His path into his apartment was blocked by Rachel's father. Ross tried to focus his attention on anything but Leonard.

Leonard exhaled an irritated sigh. The whole time after Rachel left he had been waiting for her to come back and he was also waiting for Ross to respond. When neither of his expectations happened, he made the decision to leave.

Without saying another word he turned and began walking down the hall.

Suddenly a moment of bravery took over Ross' judgement. Before his mind could comprehend what he was doing, he was running after Doctor Green.

"Wait! Doctor Green," Ross called as he got closer to Rachel's father. They were far down the hallway now. Leonard stopped and slowly turned back around.

Leonard's eyes bored into him with annoyance, Ross' throat became dry when he saw his face.

"Yes?" Leonard questioned, treating Ross like he was being a waste of his time. Ross' mind went blank, and he quickly began losing his nerve. But he swallowed hard and cleared his throat before saying his first thought.

"I wanted to, um, ask you if you heard Barry's side of the story," Ross said. Leonard crossed his arms, waiting for him to continue. "Barry cheated on Rachel," Ross said, truthfully.

"What?" Leonard shouted, irritated by Ross.

"Barry cheated on Rachel," Ross stated more confidently. He began to feel better, now that he had gotten his first thought off his chest.

"How do you know that?" Leonard criticized.

"Rachel told me," Ross said as he braced himself for Leonard to yell. But, surprisingly, he just looked shocked.

"Barry didn't tell me that," Leonard said slowly. Ross was thrilled that he actually seemed hurt instead of angry. Maybe his cold, hard exterior had a soft spot after all.

"I think Barry failed to tell you a lot of things. Like how he forbid Rachel from going out because he was worried she would ruin their reputation. Rachel was stuck inside day in and day out all alone," Ross explained. Leonard absorbed this information for a while before speaking again.

"Why are you telling me these things?" Leonard asked, curiously eyeing Ross' face.

"I want you to know these things. And Rachel is too scared to tell you the complete truth on her own," Ross replied, seriously.

"What are you getting at?" Leonard asked confusedly.

"Doctor Green, I don't want you to be mad at me. You're wasting your energy by being angry with me. I was there for Rachel when she needed to get away from the terrible marriage she was in. I helped her when Barry didn't seem to care. So if you're going to be mad at someone be mad at him," Ross stated, his temper rising. Leonard watched him intently.

Ross braced himself for Leonard's response. But the anger Leonard had been filled with all evening never came.

"Ross I'm… I'm sorry about how I treated you before. I guess I was just trying to make my little girl happy, but I ended up doing the exact opposite. I realize now how awful Barry was to Rachel, I'm really glad you were there for her," Leonard explained honestly. Ross had to stop his jaw from dropping, he was speechless.

"Thank you," Ross replied, astonishment clearly in his voice.

"Why did you take her in Ross?" Leonard asked.

"She called me and told me she had nowhere to stay," Ross said. But Leonard could tell there was something more behind his reason.

"Do you love her?" Leonard asked bluntly. Ross debated over how to respond, but in the end he decided to be truthful.

"I do, sir," Ross responded, he glanced down at the floor preparing himself for the outburst that would surely hit him any moment.

But, to Ross' surprise, Leonard smiled. He then placed a hand on Ross' shoulder, which caused Ross to look up at him.

"I don't have a problem with that Ross. As long as you take care of her. I was wrong about you; you're a great guy. Sticking up for my daughter against her unpleasant, old father," Leonard laughed. Ross smiled back at him.

"Thank you. And I promise you, I will take care of her," Ross said. Leonard held out his hand for Ross to shake. Ross gladly shook it.

"I'll talk to you soon," Leonard said, before he let go of Ross' hand and left.

"Goodbye Doctor Green," Ross responded. "Thanks for believing me."

"No, thank you Doctor Geller," Leonard said with a wink, before he turned and walked away.

Ross felt delight fill his entire body. He had actually found Leonard Green's soft side, and not only that but he gotten his approval too. Ross knew there was only one thing left to do. So he marched back to his apartment, on a mission.

Ross strode into his bedroom, where he was certain Rachel would be. Sure enough she was on his bed. She was sitting in a ball with her arms wrapped around her folded legs. She was panic stricken when Ross took a long time to come inside.

"Are you okay?" Ross asked softly.

"Am I okay? Are _you_ okay?" Rachel asked, knowing how harsh her father was to him.

"I'm fine," Ross replied.

"Ross, can I talk to you for a second?" Rachel asked, worriedly.

"Sure," Ross replied, he leaned against the doorframe.

"Please. Come take a seat," Rachel said as she patted a spot beside her on the bed. Ross climbed on the bed, but he sat cross-legged across from her. "Listen I'm really sorry about my father yelling at you. He's just mad at me for getting divorced and he's trying to find someone to take his anger out on."

"It's okay. After you left I talked to him," Ross responded.

"Wow. What happened?" Rachel said cringing.

"I told him the truth about what Barry had been doing to you," Ross explained.

"What?" Rachel asked confused by what she was hearing.

"I told him that Barry wouldn't let you out of the house, and that you felt trapped," Ross explained shyly.

"Ross, why would you do that? My father could have killed you," Rachel almost shouted, concerned for him.

"I wanted him to know the truth. He ended up apologising," Ross explained.

"Ross, that's probably the kindest thing anyone's ever done for me. Well, besides you taking me in. Thank you," Rachel said, she gazed at Ross with tears in her eyes.

"Do you think you made the right choice divorcing Barry? Because, I mean, your father was mad," Ross stated.

"I don't regret it at all because I've found friends that appreciate me. I never would have had that with Barry," Rachel explained. "I love it here, with you."

"I love it here with you too," Ross said. Then a thought dawned on him, "Is Ben in bed?"

"Yeah. He was really upset by my father's yelling, so I calmed him down. He fell asleep in my arms," Rachel explained.

"Was he good for you today?" Ross asked.

"He was incredible," Rachel responded, thinking about how he hugged her in the park. "I took him to the playground," Rachel mentioned.

"Thank you for looking after him. You're really great with him, you know," Ross admitted. Rachel smiled.

"No, thank you Ross. That means a lot to me," Rachel said. "All of this means a lot to me. You welcomed me into your home, you introduced me to your wonderful friends and you trust me with your son. I can't stress how much I look forward to being your roommate."

"You're already an amazing roommate, Rach," Ross commented.

"Ross," Rachel whispered, feeling moved by his words. She was about to say more, when she froze. "I have to go to the washroom, but I'll be right back." With that Rachel hopped off the bed and sauntered into the bathroom.

Ross inhaled deeply, gathering some courage to say what was on his mind. He knew this was the moment to tell her how he truly felt. He was ready to put everything on the line and tell her about his feelings.

He didn't have to think for twice about whether or not it was the right time to speak the truth. He knew that this was right for them. He didn't care if he jeopardised their roommate situation, it was important that she knew how he felt.

Rachel re-entered the bedroom. Ross had a strange look on his face. He looked serious and even a little nervous. Rachel sat back in her spot on the bed, against the headboard.

"Is something wrong Ross?" Rachel asked, hesitantly.

"Rachel, can I tell you about something that's been on my mind for a while now," Ross said with a serious tone to his voice.

Ross reached across the distance between them. He took both of Rachel's hands in his own. Rachel immediately got butterflies in her stomach as she realized what was happening.

"Rachel. I don't want to mess up our roommate situation, but I can't help it. I'm in love with you and-" Ross began to confess, before Rachel interrupted him.

"-you want to know if I feel the same," Rachel finished, with tears in her eyes.

"How did you know I was going to say that?" Ross asked. He was using the words his friend had told him to say, how did Rachel know the rest of his thought?

Then it hit him. It suddenly all made sense; it all came together.

Rachel was the woman he was emailing.

She wanted to feel appreciated in a life she didn't fit into. She divorced her husband, which Ross recalled in her last email, she mentioned was named Barry. She was living with a high school friend, her father was angry with her. All of it added up.

"It's me," Rachel said with a smile.

"All this time we've been talking to each other?" Ross asked. All Rachel could manage was nodding since she was in tears of joy. "When did you find out?"

"Before I sent you my last email. I told you to do those things so I would know for sure it was you," Rachel explained.

"So the woman I'm in love with is the one I've trusted with my deepest secrets, and opened my heart to and also who been in love with since high school," Ross stated.

"I still can't believe you loved me back then," Rachel asked.

"I've had a crush on you since the ninth grade," Ross stated. Rachel smiled at him.

"Did you really mean all those things you said about your roommate in the last email?" Rachel asked randomly, with a smile.

"I certainly did," Ross answered. "Rach, you're beautiful, you have a big heart and most of all I admire how courageous you are."

"Ross you are the nicest man I've ever met. Everything you do, everything you say captivates me. I love you so much," Rachel replied.

Before either of them could take another breath they were in each other's arms locked in a passionate kiss. Ross pulled Rachel across the mattress and encircled her waist with his arms, pulling her against his chest. Rachel put her arms around the back of his neck. Their lips moved against each other's as they enjoyed the emotion of the moment.

They had to pull away breathlessly. They both smiled as they caught their breath.

Ross rested his hands on her waist, slowly rubbing his hands in slow strokes on her sides. Rachel sighed against as his fingers raised goose bumps on her skin. Rachel's noises made his heart pound. He soon returned to kiss her with hunger, their lips moved in perfect harmony like they were meant to do this all along.

Feeling Rachel's soft lips against his own sent Ross to an epiphany. He was finally with Rachel Green after all these years; all the years of waiting for her to notice him, the years of countless fantasies and undying adoration.

"I love you, Rachel," Ross impulsively whispered when they parted slightly. This sent chills up Rachel's spine.

"I love you too," Rachel answered in a whispering voice. Ross kissed her slowly, before he gazed into her eyes. Her blue eyes were filled with glistening tears of joy.

"This is it alright, this is where our future begins," Ross stated.

"Ross our future began when fate brought us together," Rachel said confidently. Ross smiled before he kissed her lips once more.

But their moment was interrupted by Ben's wails from the next room. Ross and Rachel both stopped what they were doing. Ross pulled away from Rachel and sighed.

"I'll be right back," He said softly. Then he kissed her lovingly one last time before carefully climbing off of the bed. Rachel smiled as she watched him leave.

For once in her life she felt completely satisfied with where she was.

She had only been living with Ross for a week and she already felt more loved than two years of marriage to Barry.

This was where she belonged. She just couldn't believe Ross was the one she had been talking to the whole time. But she couldn't have asked for a better man to want to be by her side.

Rachel took a big step when she left Barry, and even though she didn't know what events would happen in the future she knew she'd be safe with Ross. They had trusted each other the entire time without having a clue that their history was so much deeper than just their emails.

They were meant to be together, meant to help each other find courage and strength. From the moment they very first met, to when Ross' text happened to be sent to Rachel. To when they met in the elevator, to when Ross took Rachel in.

They were proof that fate truly exists.


	12. Epilogue

**AN: I thought an epilogue would be a nice way to finish this story. Tie up loose ends and such. **

**I want to say a very big thank you to everyone who reviewed, favourited, read and/or set alerts for this story. And thank you to my boyfriend for his motivation. ;)**

**I'm so sad to see this story come to an end. I will truly miss it. **

**I do have plans for another story. Although, with exams coming up and millions of assignments due I don't think I'll find time to post it/write it for a few weeks. But keep an eye out for it. ;)**

**Please leave me your final thoughts on this story in a review. :)**

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><p>Rachel opened her eyes to the bright sunlight that filled the bedroom. She smiled as she sat up. Today was her wedding day. Her relaxed sigh filled the peaceful air; she was overjoyed about the day to come.<p>

She looked at her side table gazing at the framed picture that sat there.

The picture was of Rachel, Ross and Ben. It was taken a few weeks after she and Ross had gotten engaged. The two sat on Monica's sofa, Ross had his arm around Rachel's waist, Ben sat on their laps.

It was as if Ben knew all along that Rachel would one day be his step-mother when he insisted on calling her mommy. Rachel loved that little boy with all of her heart.

That picture reminded her of the one she used to have on her nightstand at her old house; the one of her and Barry on their wedding day. The main difference was that the smile she wore in her picture with Ross had never left her face.

Ross and Rachel had discovered living together was very exciting. They had grown to be two very stubborn and resilient people. When they disagreed the whole world knew. But the amazing thing about them was that there wasn't a problem they couldn't solve. After quite a few arguments they had learned to forgive.

Rachel and Ross' married life was surely going to be what she had always imagined. Their relationship was already full of love, passion, and excitement. Every day with Ross was different, and Rachel couldn't have asked for anything more. Ross gave her everything she had never had with Barry.

Rachel climbed out of her bed. She was alone in her room. Monica and Phoebe were sleeping on the pull-out couch in the living room. Ross and Rachel were apart for the night and morning; they were sticking with the tradition of not seeing each other before the wedding. Ross was at Chandler and Monica's apartment.

Monica and Chandler had been going out for a while now. They lived together in apartment 20, across the street from Ross and Rachel.

Rachel, out of habit, got out of bed and checked her email, hoping none of her co-workers had emailed her about anything important.

Rachel had gotten her dream job. She was now an executive for Ralph Lauren. She had gotten the job after making her way in the fashion world for a couple of years. Ross had been with her every step of the way. Encouraging her to get up, dust herself off and try again when things didn't go her way.

On the other hand, Ross had gotten a job as a professor at New York University. His dreams had come true; he got to talk about dinosaurs for a living. He felt like the happiest man in the world. He had a son, an amazing job and, to top it all off, the woman of his dreams as his fiancée.

Rachel was surprised to find an email from Ross. They had made it a habit to email each other on a regular basis, since it was an act that was close to their heart. Rachel read the email.

_Rachel,_

_Never in a million years could I have imagined life would be this great. Only a few years ago I was in a marriage that was slipping away from me. That day that you encouraged me to end my marriage is a day that will always mean a lot to me._

_Then, I saw you in the elevator. You were so beautiful and yet something about your eyes showed your sadness. It was so incredible that we met after many years of not seeing each other. I was glad to have you by my side in such a frightening situation. _

_That moment when you told me you left Barry was the proudest I've ever been of someone. You followed your instinct, you took a risk._

_When I answered the phone, that one evening, I almost stopped breathing when I heard your voice. I couldn't help but feel the need to help you._

_After that you shocked me with your kindness towards Ben, not because I didn't believe you could take care of him but because he looked like he belonged in your arms. _

_The day we found out we were emailing each other all along is a moment I can't find words to describe. It was the one time in my life I actually felt like something was going right. I now truly believe that everything happens for a reason._

_And here we are today. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you by my side. I can't wait for the moment I get to see you walk down that aisle. And I especially can't wait for the moment you become my wife and a mother to Ben._

_I love you with all my heart and soul. I will see you soon._

_Yours Truly._

Rachel had tears streaming down her cheeks. She was so lucky to have found a man like Ross to share he life with. He was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

A knock on her door made her quickly wipe away her tears.

"Rach, are you awake?" Monica asked as she opened the door and peeked inside.

"Yes," Rachel responded as she closed her email.

"We have to start getting ready. Phoebe's already awake so let's go," Monica said. Rachel smiled at her friend's take-charge attitude. It was hard to believe that the two had ever drifted apart, since they were so close now. In fact all six of them had become very close.

That was another reason Rachel was glad to have escaped her old life. She had found a group of people that really cared about her.

…..

Rachel had butterflies in her stomach as the tall, wooden double doors opened. The beautiful room in front of her was enough to bring tears to her eyes.

The church was unbelievable with its high peaked ceiling and floor to ceiling windows. The room was decorated with lilies and white roses on every pew and on either side of the alter. Her friends all stood at the end of the aisle. Chandler and Joey stood on one side and Monica and Phoebe stood on the other.

Ross was in the middle. He was beaming as Rachel began to walk to the wedding march, which filled the room with its soft melody. He couldn't believe how stunning she looked. Her dress hugged her body in all the right places, her vale perfectly flowing behind her. Her hair was in an intricate bun with a few strands framing her face.

Rachel held on to her bouquet of lilies in one hand and linked arms with her father with the other. Her father was never fond of Ross when they lived in the same neighborhood long ago. But, after their talk years ago, he was definitely learning to accept him, especially since he made Rachel so happy.

The two reached the alter; Rachel couldn't get over how handsome Ross looked in his suit and tie. She couldn't believe that this day had finally come; her wedding. And, who knew the one she'd be marrying would end up being Ross Geller, the brother of her best friend?

Rachel turned to her father, who gave her a kiss on the cheek. Leonard placed Rachel's hand in Ross'.

"Take care of her Ross," Leonard whispered, looking directly at Ross. Ross smiled at his soon-to-be father in-law.

"I promise I will, sir," Ross answered. Leonard smiled back and then took his seat in one of the front pews.

Ross was glad he and Rachel's father had worked things out. He was an intense man, but Ross knew he meant well and was just protective of his daughter.

Rachel stood in front of Ross, tears already in her eyes. Tears were in Ross' eyes as well as he looked at the wonderful woman who would soon be his wife.

"You look beautiful," Ross whispered. Rachel smiled and took his hands in hers. They held hands as the minister began to speak.

"Welcome, everyone. We are here today to unite Rachel Green and Ross Geller in holy matrimony. On this day three years ago, this couple met over a text message. Now they have chosen you, those most special and important to them, to help celebrate the beginning of their life together. As this marriage begins, we create with it a new bond and new family."

Rachel glanced at Ben out of the corner of her eye. He sat with Ross' parents, Carol and Susan. He sat on the pew, his little feet dangling in front of him, in a tiny little suit that matched the groomsmen. When Ben noticed Rachel look at him he waved and smiled a sweet grin. Rachel blew him a kiss back.

Rachel then noticed Jack and Judy smiling up at her. Judy was on the verge of tears, already. Rachel remembered the day she and Ross visited them for the first time as a couple. They walked into the Geller's house holding hands and smiling giddily. Then Ross told them that they were dating.

Judy hugged them hard enough to leave them breathless. They were so glad that their son was happy again, and with a girl as delightful as Rachel.

Back in reality, Rachel held Ross' hands in hers as the minister continued to speak.

"Ross and Rachel have written their own vows. Rachel, you first," The minister spoke. Rachel swallowed nervously, but she was soon calmed by Ross' eyes. She pretended she was just speaking in front of him.

"Love doesn't always come easy, I know that from experience. But every obstacle in my path, every challenge, has helped me grow and find you. In a time where we needed love most, fate and destiny brought us together. We both found someone to lean on.

I promise to love you every second, of every minute, of every day for the rest of our lives. I will always be here for you, to support you in hard times and share the good times. I love you with all my heart and I can't wait to spend my life with you," Rachel spoke quietly, her voice shaking with tears.

"And now Ross," The minister queued as Ross was caught up in Rachel's emotion. He took a breath and then spoke.

"From the moment I first laid my eyes on you, I knew you were the only one for me. Your beauty, heart, and mind made me fall for you back in the ninth grade. When we grew apart I accepted the fact that I had lost you. But, when I met you once again, years later, I was right back in that place.

Everything happens for a reason. And the reason that you and I were brought together is that we complete each other. We fill in each other's rough edges with our love for one another. Thank you for always being there for me. I promise to continue to be there for you. I love you. This is the moment our future begins," Ross said. Rachel's tears spilled over and rolled down her cheeks.

"Rachel, do you take Ross to be your husband, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?" The minister asked, turning to Rachel.

"I do," Rachel answered.

"Ross, do you take Rachel to be your wife, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?" The minister asked Ross.

"I do," Ross said looking directly at Rachel.

"Now the rings," The minister said. Chandler, the best man, handed Ross his ring. Monica, the maid of honour gave Rachel hers. "These rings have no beginning and no ending. They are a symbol that the love between you will never end. Place these rings upon each other's fingers as a sign of the vows you have made today," The minister said.

Ross put Rachel's ring on her finger and then Rachel put Ross' on his.

"By the power vested in me by the State of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Ross, you may now kiss your bride," The minister stated.

Ross smiled at Rachel for a moment. With tears sparkling in their eyes they leaned in. Ross wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling Rachel against him. Rachel wrapped her arms around the back of his neck. The moment their lips touched everyone else in the room faded away. It was just them and their future that lay ahead. When they parted they quickly kissed once more before just smiling at each other.

"Family and friends, I present to you for the first time, Doctor and Mrs. Ross Geller," The minister introduced. Ross couldn't believe he had actually just heard those words. His fantasy of having Rachel forever was now a reality.

Ross and Rachel faced the church, holding hands. Everyone clapped as they began to exit.

…..

The reception after the wedding ceremony was beautiful. The tables were set with white tablecloths and silver cutlery. The centrepieces and other flower arrangements were overflowing with more lilies and white roses. The room romantically glowed with elegant wall sconces and a few large chandeliers above the dance floor.

After a wonderful dinner, that Monica had helped plan, it was time to dance the night away. Ross and Rachel mingled with their friends and family dancing, laughing and having a great time. The newlyweds never left each other's side. They hand their hands on each other the whole night.

Ross and Rachel were talking to Monica, Phoebe, Chandler and Joey when Rachel's mother walked up to her.

"Rachel, can I talk to you for a moment?" Sandra asked.

"Um okay," Rachel said unsurely. "I'll be right back," She said to Ross before kissing him on the cheek.

Sandra led Rachel away from the dance floor and out the hall's doors. They soon walked into the lobby which had light marble floors and a high ceiling. Sandra then stopped abruptly and turned to face her daughter.

"Rachel, there's a visitor outside that wants to talk to you," Sandra explained. Rachel looked at her strangely.

"Okay… Who is it?" Rachel asked, confused.

"Rachel, sweetie I have to get back to the party. Please just walk around the side of the building," Sandra explained hurriedly. Rachel didn't have time to respond, before her mom kissed her forehead and walked away.

Rachel had a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach as she walked out the glass front doors of the venue. It was dark outside, but the parking lot was lit by a few street lamps. The only sounds came from the speeding cars on a nearby road and Rachel's heals clicking against the pavement.

She followed the brick wall until she rounded the corner of the building. Rachel gasped in shock when she saw who stood there.

"Hi, Rachel," Barry greeted. Rachel hadn't seen him since they had divorced each other three years ago. He hadn't changed at all. Rachel stood frozen with surprize, she definitely hadn't expected her visitor to be her ex-husband.

"Barry. How did you know about my wedding?" Rachel asked, crossing her arms across her chest as she shivered in the cool evening air.

"Your parent's wouldn't stop talking about it at the country club. They told my parents, my parents told me and so I decided to come," Barry explained as he walked a few steps closer to Rachel.

"Why did you come here Barry?" Rachel asked, wanting desperately to get back to her new husband.

"I need your help," Barry said slowly.

"Okay. What's going on?" Rachel asked getting a little impatient.

"First, I wanted to tell you that I ended up marrying Mindy," Barry stated. Rachel felt a little pained when his words actually registered in her mind. He had cheated on her with Mindy and then married her? Rachel was slightly angered by this. Not because she was jealous or anything, but because it was Mindy and Barry.

"And?" Rachel asked, trying to get him to his point.

"I'm not happy with Mindy. After all these years I finally realize what a terrible life this is to live. All I do is work. And when I come home I don't feel loved. I just need your help and then I'll be out of here," Barry explained. Rachel saw the pained look in his eyes, but it didn't stop there. His whole body was stiff with sadness and helplessness.

"Barry, you finally understand how I felt in our marriage. I felt worthless and unloved and lonely. Do you want my advice?" Rachel asked.

"Yes, that's why I'm here. You're the only one who knows how I'm feeling," Barry responded.

"My advice is to leave Mindy and that lifestyle. It's the only way you'll be happy. This might be painful for you to hear but, when I left you it was the best decision I ever made. I felt so free of those chains that were holding me back from being me. Then I found friends that truly loved me and I was amazed at how good it felt to be appreciated," Rachel explained, putting a hand on her chest over her heart.

"It's just not the same for me. I can't just leave. And how will I ever find someone who appreciates me?" Barry asked.

"You can do it. You just have to get out of that lifestyle and open your eyes to the real world," Rachel said.

"Thank you, Rach," Barry said sincerely. "I've never honestly apologised for the way I used to treat you. I didn't know how you felt until now. I'm sorry I didn't love you like you deserve to be loved," Barry said.

"Thank you Barry," Rachel replied. "Good luck."

"You too. Enjoy your marriage," Barry said. "Goodbye." He said before turning and walking towards the parking lot.

"Wait Barry," Rachel called after him. When Barry turned around a few feet from her she spoke again. "Do you want to come and join the party? You might find someone you like in there," Rachel said, she didn't know why she said it.

"No, I'll get going. I need to get started on my new life. Thank you anyways," Barry responded.

"Alright, goodbye," Rachel replied. Barry gave her a small wave and then disappeared around the corner. Rachel felt like she was on cloud nine, she was so happy to have closure.

…..

When she returned, Rachel told Ross what had happened. Ross had been a little angry that she had left their wedding to go see Barry, but he soon calmed down when Rachel reassured him that she loved him.

When a slow song was played, Ross and Rachel decided it was a good time for their first dance as husband and wife.

Ross' hands were on Rachel's waist and Rachel's hands were around the back of Ross' neck. They swayed slowly to the soft melody. Rachel leaned her head against Ross' chest, enjoying the sound of his heart. She felt so protected in Ross' arms.

She looked up at Ross, with her head still against him. Ross smiled at her then he tenderly kissed her forehead. Rachel caught his eyes before he pulled too far away. Then she stretched to give him a lingering kiss on the lips.

When they stopped, they kept their foreheads against one another's and just continued to look into each other's eyes.

Soon a flash went off and the two turned to see that Monica had taken a picture of them, before smiling and walking away. Rachel immediately decided that that picture would go in a frame on her bedside table.

When the couple returned to dancing it wasn't long before they were interrupted again. This time it was Ben. The little, blonde boy ran and hugged them around the knees. Ross and Rachel looked down at him.

"How are you Ben? Are you having fun?" Ross asked.

"Can I dance with you and Mommy?" Ben asked, ignoring Ross' question.

"Of course," Ross replied. The he bent over and picked Ben up. Ross held him between himself and Rachel as they began dancing once more.

After all their years of frustration and unhappiness the two were finally in an amazing marriage. Even if they'd only been married for a few hours, it was already incredible; they already knew it would work.

They were a family now, and they couldn't be happier. Who knew fate could bring people together in such strange ways. They were ready to face their future together, a future full of love and happiness.


End file.
